Logan happily pulled up the covers around them and soon he was asleep as well. He hoped to have a good nap before they headed on into California. So far, his plan was working. Marie’s mood had definitely changed since they left Westchester. He just wished he could keep that good feeling running through her.
Kibbyland Motor Lodge
Kingman, AZ.
9:00 A.M.
Logan was sound asleep after play time with Marie. She was still asleep on his left shoulder. Then suddenly his sensitive hearing picked up this incessant ringing. He ignored it, hoped that the caller would go right to voicemail. He knew that if it rang once more, it was important. The ringing stopped and he closed his eyes again to try to relax. Then the ringing went off again and this time he growled.
‘It better be damn important,’ he thought as he gently rolled Marie over to her own pillow and got up to find the damn phone in his jacket.
“What?”
McCarran International Airport
Las Vegas, NV.
9:00 A.M.
Lara was sitting on a sofa on the private plane with Frank. Lily had called last minute and changed her mind. She decided it would be better to move everyone to Montana instead of having everyone out to California. Only problem was that no one had informed Logan and Marie of this before they left New York.
“Good morning, Logan,” Lara softly said into the phone, her voice aged as it was when he met her.
She had a feeling Logan might be too grumpy since she was calling early. Well, early for Logan. It was still 9 o’clock in the morning. He needed to be told about the change in plans.
“What?” Logan growled into the phone.
“So sorry to wake you, honey. The plans have changed.”
“Lara? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong, my dear. Just a little change in venue. Frank and I are going to my cabin in Montana for the rest of Memorial Day and this next week. There’s someone we want you to meet and she couldn’t make it to California in time for your arrival and our leaving, so we decided to move the party up to Montana.”
“Who’s comin’?”
“I can’t tell you that sweetie, it’s a surprise.”
“Well, we’re in Kingman, Arizona right now. Should only take a few days more of drivin’.”
“Oh no, honey. We’ll pick you up. Let’s meet up in Las Vegas and then we can all fly together.”
“Darlin’, I don’t fly. Ever.”
“Logan, don’t be difficult. I know you flew out here to California to meet me, you can handle a flight to Montana.”
“Ah’ll get him on the plane, sugah,” Marie interjected into the conversation. She’d been listening in from Logan’s chest when his cell phone rang.
“You’re not helping,” Logan protested.
“Yeah, that’s my girl,” Lara cheered into his ear.
“You’re not helping either.”
“Look, you won’t have to fly commercial. We have a private jet, fully stocked, and the time will just fly by, pun intended.”
“Fine, Vegas it is. I won’t be responsible for the clean up on the plane if anything happens.”
“You got a deal. See you both soon. We’re at McCarran inside the jet. Just come and park next to the Singer Airlines hanger.”
“We’ll be on the road as soon as we can.”
Singer Airlines
Las Vegas, NV.
11:30 A.M.
Logan wasn’t too happy about the change, but Marie wanted to go. She had them all ready to go in ten minutes while he loaded the cooler back into the Suburban. He tossed their luggage in the back and climbed in while Marie locked up the room. He drove her to the main office and she checked them out. Breakfast was all but out of the question. He just figured they would eat on the plane, which was until Marie informed him otherwise. She argued that they should stop so that his food could start digesting before they got on the flight, that he might be able to keep it down. And she was starving… So he found a quick McDonalds to drive thru. There was that My-tummy-is-full-and-Ah’m-happy-look on Marie’s face and all was right with the world. They drove a little over two hours to get to the airport. Logan didn’t exactly know how to get to the Singer Airlines hanger, but his guessing wasn’t bad either. He parked the Suburban and began helping Marie grab their luggage. They both took a handle on the cooler and carried it right onto the plane. The door was already open.
“Good morning you two,” Lara said as she got up like an older woman from her seat to greet them.
Lara was covered under the make-up she wore in California one more time. She had to keep up the aged pretense for a little longer. Just until Lily arrived and then she could take it all off. She pulled Marie into a hug, while Logan dumped their stuff on one of the leather covered seats. Then Logan went to hug his cousin.
“Let’s not make callin’ me early in the mornin’ a habit,” he spoke at Lara and nodded at Frank. “Mornin’ Frank.”
“Morning, Logan.”
“I’m sorry about that. I had no choice. We weren’t home and I would have hated for to waste all that gas and energy getting to San Diego.”
“It’s awlraht Lara, he’s just grumpy because he didn’t get the rest of his Wolvie beauty sleep,” Marie teased.
“That’s enough from the peanut gallery,” Logan aimed at his girl as he took his seat and buckled in.
Marie went over Logan’s lap and rubbed her denim covered ass on his loin as she crossed over, which earned her a groan. He still had a morning wood she hadn’t taken care of. She took the window seat whenever they flew so he wouldn’t get too panicked about being so high in the air. She buckled in and took his left hand into both of hers and rested them in her lap. In an effort to calm him, she began to stroke his hand between the knuckles as her other hand held him securely. He groaned at first, but then he began to purr as he closed his eyes and rested his head back against the leather covered rest. She hoped that he was dreaming about her when she saw the smile appear on his features.
Missoula International Airport
Missoula, MT.
4:00 P.M.
Marie made sure they all had lunch before they got off the plane. Frank had a hired black Suburban waiting for them when they arrived. He and Logan unloaded the plane and grabbed the luggage, while the women went on chatting about the wedding plans so far and the loss of Marie’s cat. She realized that the loss didn’t hurt as bad now, but she still missed him. Once they were all set to go, Lara took the driver’s position while Frank rode shotgun. She was really the only one of the group that knew how to get there. Marie and Logan took the back seat all to themselves. At times, Lara looked back at them in the mirror when they weren’t looking forward, and wondered if this was going to be such a good idea. She took a deep breath and told herself that it was the right choice.
Logan picked up a trace amount of fear from somewhere. It wasn’t Marie, after inspection, no, it was Lara. But what was she afraid of. Was she afraid of the person they were going to meet? He didn’t think she would sell them out to a government run lab. She seemed to genuinely care for him and his girl. She was coming to the freaking wedding. He couldn’t help the feeling that began to pick at his nerves with a pickaxe. Marie squeezed his hand and he looked at her. She had concern written on her face as if she sensed his apprehension too.
“What is it,” she whispered.
“Nothing,” and that was as far as he wanted to talk.
Triple R Ranch
Near Tooley Lake, MT.
8:00 P.M.
The sun would be gone in an hour and a half. Lara had called ahead and made reservations. When they pulled up, the place looked a bit dark. So, she rang the bell. Robert Rhodes came out of the stables when he heard the bell; he’d been feeding the horses.
“Can I help you ma’am?”
“Yeah, I am here to pick up the reservation for Wyle.”
“Oh sure, your three favorites are saddled and in the stables. And any others you need, I figured you could pick out since you have rented from us before.”
“Great. Frank, you and Logan go in the stables and load up the horses. Marie and I will pick out the others.”
“Just call if you need to extend the rental.”
“Thanks.”
Marie took Lara’s arm and walked her into the stables. She and Lara picked out a Shire stallion like Gandalf in size because they believed he could support Logan’s weight. Marie chose Beau and he was so alert around her. You could say he was starting to act like he was in love with her. Frank took Geyser and Lara rode Midnite, while Logan rode Chester. Chester was all black from head to tail. They were right; he easily was able to hold Logan’s weight. Once they all were mounted, Lara led the way with Midnite. They grabbed one more horse called Sundown. She had the most beautiful ruddy coat; her mane and tail the same color. They used her as a pack horse to carry their luggage and the cooler.
Lara Wyle’s Cabin
Between Tooley Lake and Kootenai National Forest, MT.
10:30 P.M.
They finally arrived at the cabin after watching a beautiful sunset together, the moon guided their way. They had eaten a dinner in the saddle which happened to be sandwiches from the plane they tossed into the cooler. The cabin was dark when they arrived. Lily wouldn’t be arriving until the next day. So Logan and Frank took care of housing the horses inside the barn for the night. Lara took Marie inside the cabin. Marie liked the really old fashioned feel to it. Logan’s cousin had the old kerosene lamps and really old antique furniture like she’d seen around the school. There wasn’t an overabundance of country checkered print for curtains but voluptuous velvet in a rich cobalt blue with white fringe trim. In fact, most of the furniture looked soft. The kitchen had a modernized pot belly stove and not a sign of hens and roosters on the wall. Nope, not Lara. No she had lovely rose wall paper. Then Lara took Marie to the room she and Logan would share during their stay.
“I’m so glad you two made it here. There is so much history here I want to share with you both tomorrow. I hope you both sleep well tonight.”
“Ah’m glad we came too. I hope you both sleep well too.”
“I want to take you both out for a ride tomorrow. Frank is going to stay here and watch the place. You never know when we might get a bear or raccoon through here.”
“Sure, sounds fun. Ah’ll pass it bah Logan, but ah’m sure he’ll wanna go.”
“Good. Good night Marie.”
“Naht,” Marie couldn’t help but think there was something Lara looked like she was holding back from her.
Logan came up a few minutes later with their two back packs. Marie had already stripped down and was sitting up in bed with the sheets pulled up over her chest. Her knees were pulled up under to her chest. Now something didn’t look right with Marie.
“What is it, darlin’?”
“Ah don’t know. Ah could swear Lara wanted to tell meh somethin’ when we came up here.”
“I smelt fear and her nervousness since we got on the plane. Something isn’t right and I don’t like the feelin’ that somethin’ bad is gonna happen soon.”
“Raht. She wants to take us out for a rahd tomorrow. Frank’s gonna stay here. Ah assume there’s somewhere special she wants to take us.”
“She said she wanted me to meet someone here but I ain’t got any clue as to who.”
“Meh either, sugah. Ah hope it ain’t Victor. Well, let’s git to bed. And sleep on it.”
“You owe me some morning refreshment after we were interrupted.”
“It ain’t morning yet, is it honey?”
“No,” Logan said as he began to strip down. Marie turned down the lamp and scooched under the sheets.
“Then let meh handle things in the mornin’.”
Lara went to the main suite of the cabin she was going to share with Frank. She felt so tired. Who could blame her after such a long ride and the miles they’d all traveled. Tomorrow was going to be the big day. The day James Logan Howlett was about to meet family he’d never met before. Definitely not the kind of family he was expecting… She pulled off her make-up and prosthetics, got into her light pajamas and climbed in to bed with her husband. She turned down the lamp.
“I have to do this Frank, but it’s driving me crazy because I’m unsure how he will react to what Lily and I have to tell him. Much less, how Marie will react?”
“You must relax. You’ll be no good to them if you’re exhausted.”
“I have worked so hard to build their trust and I am about to destroy all that.”
“I know my darling. It can’t be helped if you want him to know who his real family are.”
“Right. Just hold me then, until I fall asleep.”
“All right.”
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
New Orleans
11:30 P.M.
Lily Hart was about to board a plane heading for Montana. A friend that worked at her restaurant dropped her off. It was going to be a long journey, but it would be worth it. She was finally going to get to meet James Logan Howlett and his betrothed. Lara was going to meet her at the Triple R Ranch tomorrow. They would ride back together and Lara could fill her in on the lay of the land before the official meeting. Lily could feel Lara’s apprehension but she didn’t feel the need to check up on things. It was only natural to be nervous about this meet and greet Lara had arranged. The worst that could happen was that James wanted nothing to do with either of them...
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
Barely Legal Since 2000
Author's Chapter Notes:
Well, now the build up begins... Another major plot twist is coming... Trust me, you're gonna love it!
Wolverine gets woken up too soon...
Enjoy!
Wolverine gets woken up too soon...
Enjoy!
Chapter End Notes:
That was the best treat ever wasn't it? Please leave your Santa Rogan your reviews and that will be their treats. Thank you and Merry Christmas or X-Mas if you are a mutant!