Logan had just emerged from the shower when he heard the knock on his door. He'd finished the kids' Danger Room session a few minutes early so he could get cleaned up and ready for when Marie got back. The memory of Marie's kiss distracted him so much that one of the students almost got the best of him. If the kid had gotten in one more attack, Logan never would have been able to live it down.
Logan zipped up his pants, slung the towel over his shoulders and opened the door, surprised to see Jubilee rather than Marie standing in the hallway. His initial smile and sarcastic greeting died immediately on his lips as soon as the scent of Jubilee's fear and anxiety hit his nose. Distress filled her eyes as she wrung her hands together in front of her.
"What's goin' on, Jubilation."
Jubilee pushed past Logan and made her way into his room. She turned back to him, still wringing her hands in the way she did when she was nervous. Normally, it wouldn't bother him, but Jubilee's silence compounded her actions and it was pushing his concern over the edge towards panic.
"She's okay…physically at least. She's in her room right now."
Hearing that she wasn't hurt or injured relieved him only slightly.
"We'd gone for some drinks and something to eat. She saw a couple at the bar and became fixated on them. She was convinced that something bad was going to happen so she followed them out of the bar."
Jubilee paused and took a seat in Logan's chair. She stopped moving her hands but they were clasped together so tightly, her knuckles went white.
"By the time I found them, Rogue had already started on the guy. He was crouched on the ground, crying in pain. It was like she was in a trance or something, dude. She was using Vinnie's power. I tried to get her to stop but I had to push her against the wall to get her attention. It scared the shit out of me."
"Why the fuck was she there? Was he hurtin' this chick?"
"I talked to the woman and I guess he was a new boyfriend. He'd sort of made threats to her so she was scared of him but she had broken up with the guy while they were in the bar. That's what Rogue saw. I told him to leave her the hell alone or I would find him and cut off his balls myself."
Logan sat on the bed, oblivious to the water dripping down the back of his neck into the towel still draped over his back. He remembered Marie's face when she'd been in the Danger Room and trance was the right word. She'd been so completely focused on what she was doing that she'd barely acknowledged Logan's presence.
"Logan, she said she enjoyed it."
He threw the towel on the bed and grabbed the shirt lying next to him. He pulled it over his head and then bent over and began putting on his socks then boots.
"I gotta see her."
Jubilee stood up and faced him as he finished and got to his feet.
"Wait, maybe we should talk to the Professor. She needs help, Logan. She needs to deal with her past or this is going to eat her alive."
"I know a thing or two about dealing with the past, Jubes. I'll get her through this. I got an idea yesterday and I think I know what needs to happen." He cupped her cheek and gave her a determined stare. "You talk to the Professor while I go see her. She'll be okay, kid."
Jubilee nodded and responded with a weak smile. He turned around and opened the door for her. She left and he watched her disappear up the stairway.
"You promised, Marie."
oOo
As Logan made his way to her room, he had to concentrate hard in order to remain calm. Once again, Marie had to face a situation where he wasn't there to help her. He berated himself for not listening to his gut in the first place. It wasn't that he didn't trust her – far from it. Marie was smart and able to handle herself in any situation when she was ready. But right now she was vulnerable and it was Logan's job to watch her back. Yet another time he failed to protect her.
He made it to her door and paused, resisting the temptation to barge inside. He knocked firmly and waiting a full minute before trying the handle; it was unlocked. Logan pushed open the door and listened for a moment before calling her name. When he heard the shower running, he stepped inside, closing the door behind him. The bathroom door stood ajar.
"Marie, it's me, baby."
Silence. He approached the bathroom and remained just outside, wanting desperately to get in and see her for himself.
"Marie? I need you to answer me, darlin'."
Her continued lack of response only served to amplify his unease. He paced for a brief moment, debating on the next move. He could sit outside and wait for her to come out or just go in and make sure she was alright. The last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable or intrude when she was physically very exposed, but Marie was his and there were no limits to what he was prepared to do to keep her safe.
"I'm comin' in."
Logan stepped inside and took a glance through the glass door of the shower. Marie sat on the floor, her back to the spray and head resting in her hands. Her hair hung down around her shoulders like a shroud. The memory of her lifeless body on the Statue of Liberty made a shudder crawl up his spine. He stood there, waiting for her to speak but she remained still and silent as the water cascaded down her body.
He grabbed the large bath towel from the rack, opened the shower door and shut off the water. He stepped inside the small space and draped the soft cloth around Marie's body. With his hands on her shoulders, he stood her up and wrapped her completely in the towel. She was either unashamed of having him see her in this state or she just didn't care. Logan was more disturbed by the fact that his presence had no affect on her. A week ago she would have been screaming at him to get out. He led her out of the stall and placed his arm underneath her knees, scooping her up in his arms. Logan carried her to the bed and sat down with Marie cradled in his arms. He gently brushed the wet hair away from her face with his fingers.
He sat a moment and listened to her breathing. Under normal circumstances, her breathing soothed him. He'd pretty much taken up residence in her room to help her with the nightmares. Sometimes he sat in the bed with her, other times, he kept watch from the chair. Listening to her deep and even breaths in the middle of the night caused him to sleep more restfully than he had in years.
Logan knew she was wrestling with the idea that, somehow, she was corrupt. That her encounter with Vinnie had turned her into the type of person that she'd been hiding from since Cody's attack. She always used her skin as an excuse to hold people at a distance and allowed it to protect her. But with Vinnie's power, she had achieved the ability to extract a certain vengeance that her skin alone wouldn't do for her. Now, she could hurt those who would hurt others - make them feel the same fear that they inflicted upon their victims. He knew the feeling all too well. Logan dealt with it over time, but he wasn't sure if Marie would be able to simply move forward in the same way.
"I fought in the cage because I thought it was all I was good for. In those moments, I was an animal, built for killin'. But when I met you, I realized that I could be more, Marie. I could be someone to count on. I could take care of other people. I could be a good man if I chose to be."
As he spoke, Logan took the edge of the towel and dried Marie's hair. His actions caused her heartbeat to slow and he felt her relax under his touch.
"All those trips to find out about my past and all I found out was that I was a mean son of a bitch. I've done some seriously bad shit in my life, Marie. A lot. But I changed. For me. For you. For the people here. I'm still a mean son of a bitch sometimes but at least I can use that for good, you know?"
Logan put the cloth back down and held Marie in his arms. She pressed her head into the crook of his neck, seeking safety in his embrace.
"You're not a bad person, Marie. You just got some shit handed to you that you need to sort out. And I know a lot about dealin' with the past. I got an idea on how you can start to deal with all this. But you've got to trust me."
Marie's soft voice reverberated against his skin.
"I trust you, Logan."
Logan closed his eyes and pulled her even closer against his chest. Her unrestrained faith in him was more than he could have ever asked for - more than he ever thought he deserved.
"We're gonna do like I did, baby. You need closure and in order to do that, we gotta start at the beginning. We're gonna pay a visit to Cody."
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