Logan found Marie in the restroom of the Sheriff's office. Jack was sitting outside the door, his ears pinned back and hackles raised. Logan could hear Marie's sobs punctuated by occasional retching sounds. He rapped his knuckles lightly on the door.
"Marie?"
No answer.
"Darlin'. Please let me in."
A few more minutes passed with both Jack and Logan standing guard, not planning on moving a muscle until Marie came out that door. Sure, Logan could barge in but Marie needed some space and despite every instinct to help and protect her, he wasn't about to storm in on a crying woman. That, in his experience, usually ended badly.
Just as Logan was about to call to her again, he heard Marie's soft voice.
"Come in."
He turned the handle and opened the door. Marie was sitting against the wall of the restroom, her arms propped up on her knees. She didn't look up or acknowledge Logan as he sat down next to her. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and tell her everything would be okay. Logan resisted the temptation and sat quietly. Even Jack sensed that Marie needed a little space. He padded in the room and sat down on her other side. He stared straight ahead, not seeking any attention from her.
Marie sniffled.
"Yeah, so I think that went well." She said.
Logan heard her try to chuckle but it only stalled in her throat as she tried to keep from crying again.
"It was his voice that triggered my memory. I would never forget it."
"I'm sorry, Marie."
"Not as fucking sorry as I am." She paused. It was time to face the past and figure out what the hell that meant for both of them.
"I thought I could handle myself, Logan. I thought I was strong and Victor wouldn't dare mess with me. But after only a year of working for the business, my father practically sold me off to that asshole. He wanted Victor to have a legit claim on all his holdings so I was the answer. Marry the boss's daughter and get the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow." Marie wiped her eyes. "I refused. Told them both to go to hell. That's when I started planning my escape. My mama helped me so much. She hates my father but never had the courage to get out. She didn't want the same life for me. It took me a couple months to gather the funds and all that time I avoided Victor as much as I could. But he started getting more aggressive. He actually thought he owned me."
Marie closed her eyes.
"The night I was going to leave, Victor got drunk. He came to my room and beat me when I told him to get lost. His answer was to rape me."
Logan clenched his fists and set his jaw. He should have just shot Creed when he had the chance.
"I got out the next morning. Drove and didn't look back. Found a nice little apartment and a job in an animal shelter. It was the most peace I'd had in years. I was in hiding a month and a half before I realized that I was pregnant. Despite how the baby was conceived, I didn't think for a moment that I would get an abortion. I was going to give it up for adoption. As much as I wanted to keep it, I didn't want the baby to grow up in that family in case I was ever found out. There was no way I was going to let my baby grow up with Victor as it's father. But at three months, I went for an appointment and there was no heartbeat. My baby was gone. I was alone again."
Her quiet sobs tore at his heart. Logan couldn't sit back any more. He took her into his arms and let her cry for her lost child. For the abuse she'd endured. For everything that had been taken from her.
They sat for a few moments while Logan stroked Marie's hair and Jack rested his head on her knee.
"What can I do, Marie?"
"You're doing it." She sat back and looked up into Logan's dark eyes. Despite his intensity, Marie never felt uneasy the way she had with Victor. Now that she had her memories, she understood why she'd been instantly drawn to James Logan. He was strong but underneath the tough guy exterior, he had an immense heart. Logan was quite literally the only man in her life that had ever attempted to care for her.
"You want to go home?"
Marie sighed.
"Home. Which one, Logan? Yours? My hideout? My father's place? I know who I am but I sure as hell don't know where I belong."
Logan flinched just as strongly as if Marie had yelled those words in his face. She'd hurt him and his soft words made her feel like the biggest heel in the world.
"You belong with me, Marie."
She put her hand up to caress his cheek, reveling in the feel of his warmth and the stubble on his face.
"I'm sorry, Logan. I want to. More than anything in the damn world I want to just hole up here and forget about everything else."
"Then do it."
Marie stood up, not able to hold still any longer. The pain and confusion overwhelmed her again. She moved to the sink and stared into the mirror. Her reflection was at once strange and unfamiliar. Marie wished she could vanish back into the innocence of the unknown.
"Sure. Set up house here in the mountains while we look over our shoulders for Victor or one of my father's enemies to come strolling in and take me…or shoot me…or you. Maybe Jubilee or Bobby will get caught in the crossfire. Then you'll blame me for fucking up your life and I can't live with that Logan. I can't live with the idea that you'll regret everything that's happened up to now."
In an instant, Logan was on his feet, standing behind Marie. He put his hands on her shoulder and spun her around to face him.
"You want to talk about regret, Marie? I've got more goddamn regrets in my life than I even want to count. But my biggest regret is not shooting Victor Creed ten years ago. Then he would have paid for the shit he'd done and he wouldn't have been able to put a fucking finger on you."
He turned away and took a few steps toward the wall. His fist collided with the plaster. Logan breathed heavily, trying to calm himself. The knowledge that Victor Creed had hurt Marie enraged him. Creed had hit her. Raped her. Hunted her like an animal. Logan punched the wall again.
"Logan, stop. None of this was your fault."
He spun to face her. "Bullshit. I knew what Creed was and I was too wrapped up in my sense of loyalty and brotherhood to do what needed to be done. But I'm not going to make that mistake again, Marie. I promise you that."
They stood for a moment, Logan's words hanging in the air like a fog. Logan pushed the breath out of his lungs and his fists clenched then unclenched. He'd meant what he said. Nothing would stop him from killing Victor Creed if he came for Marie again. Nothing.
Logan looked at Marie. Her delicate arms were crossed and she was staring at the floor. Probably trying to figure out how the hell to get out of the room before Logan lost it completely. He was such an asshole sometimes. He stepped forward and opened his arms.
"C'mere, darlin'."
Marie met Logan in the middle of the room and wrapped her arms around his solid waist. She didn't want to fight anymore. The little girl inside her that used to imagine a fairy tale ending wanted to believe that she could have a life with Logan. But the Marie who'd survived Victor Creed knew that happily ever afters weren't what they were cracked up to be. Still, she stood with him, feeling the beat of his heart and smelling his deep, rich scent. Maybe there could be a happy ending. Maybe she could hope for a normal life.
"Logan…let's go home."
"Yeah, baby. Let's go home."
~oOo~
Victor Creed sat on the bed in his hotel room, sharpening his knife. He remembered the day he'd found the blade. Logan and he had been on a mission in Madripoor when they'd stumbled on a small, back alley shop. Neither of them could resist and both men emerged with a prized weapon. That was when they'd been like brothers. Before Logan betrayed him. Before Logan left him to die.
Victor wasn't going to let him get away a second time.
He took the knife by the hilt and, with a flick of his wrist, flung it at the opposite wall where it embedded in the plaster. He smiled.
"I'm Comin' for ya, runt. You ain't takin' what's mine."
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
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Author's Chapter Notes:
I've been reading a ton of Rogan fics lately and have been sincerely amazed at the amount of talent around here. Thanks for sticking in here and thanks for the support. I hope this story continues to entertain. XXOO
Chapter End Notes:
You know what makes me do a happy dance. Make me dance.