Marie placed the last bag of her meager belongings into the back of the beat up old Buick. With a twist that rang of finality, she pulled off her engagement ring. Leaving it and the sealed envelope in the mailbox.
One last glance at the house where so many unhappy memories lived, she slid into the driver's seat and drove away. When Bobby came home, if he came home this time, he would find an empty shell, a fitting definition for their relationship.
She watched the miles pass and promised herself she would not cry. What was done was done. No use crying over spilled milk as her mama would say. There had been no love for years, maybe even never. Infatuation, sure. They had fallen into a relationship as teenagers. All their friends were dating at the time and they had been the only single people in their group. It had been out of convenience. They became the "It" couple. Even after the others had moved on. College, careers, marriages, and babies. They had remained Bobby and Marie.
But comfort and convenience did not love make. They had tried. She wouldn't deny that. But Bobby had slowly pulled away over the last few years and Marie hadn't fought for him. Glad for the reprieve.
She had reached out to one of her oldest friends, Jubilation Lee, who had recently moved to a tiny little town named Laughlin City in Alberta, Canada. Jubilee was pregnant with twins and had jumped at the chance for her friend to come up and help her.
So here she was now, all her worldly belongings in the back seat of a car older than her, tank full of gas, and determination. Lord have mercy.
She had promised Jubes she'd be there within a week. Giving her extra days to drive the 2,500 plus miles and sightsee. Having never left Mississippi, Marie wanted to visit as many places as possible.
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A week and too many miles to count later, the novelty of cross country traveling had lost its appeal. As she crossed into Canada, she just wanted to get to Laughlin City. If she could just make it to Saskatoon, she'd have just another 8-10 hours to drive. The end was blessedly in sight.
As if Fate heard her, she began to hear a noise under the hood. A banging and a clanging as her mama would say. Pulling off to the shoulder of the road, Marie searched for the nearest gas station or mechanic shop. Cursing her inability to convert from miles to kilometers, she pulled up her Google app.
Fifty miles to the closest location. Crossing her fingers, she pushed forward. She really did not want to have to call Jubilee or her husband Hank to have to come rescue her. She really should have sprung for a AAA membership.
Unsure if it was a good thing or not, the highway seemed pretty deserted today. Allowing her to creep along. She didn't want to push the engine or her gas tank too hard. By nightfall, she had finally reached the outskirts of a town. Renting a hotel room for the night, she decided to wait until morning to check about a mechanic. And she certainly wasn't going to fill the tank until after it was running smoothly again.
The next morning, after checking with the desk clerk, she pulled up to the only mechanic in the area. The clerk had warned her that he was a grouchy man who would sooner growl at you than waste his time talking.
As long as he fixed her car, she couldn't care less if the man was Big Foot himself. At least that was her opinion until she saw the mechanic. Marie's mom had worked hard to instill good manners into her daughter. But one look had Marie's jaw on the floor. She had heard both Jubilee and their friend, Kitty, use the term sex on legs before but she had never truly understood that phrase.
He had dark, unruly hair, his face was unshaven, and his muscular arms were sweaty and greasy despite having just opened for the day. Marie felt the air leave her lungs when he looked up from the car he was working on and she met his stare.
"Office is that way darling", he spat out with a nod to the glass door behind her.
Despite the obvious dismissal, Marie couldn't move or look away. She felt like a deer caught in the crosshairs.
With a rough growl, he raised up to his full height, wiped his hands on a rag, grabbed her arm, in a surprisingly gentle grip, and directed her to the aforementioned office.
Leaving her at the desk, he stalked back to the closed office door and began to heatedly point her direction. With a put-upon sigh, a tall, redheaded woman glided to the desk. With a practiced smile, the lady took her information and promised to have the mechanic, Logan, look at her car.
Having decided she had done her job, the woman slipped back into the back office once more firmly shutting the door. Leaving Marie standing at the desk with no clue how long it could be before she could get back to her travels.
With no other option available, Marie once again slipped into the garage. She would get the information she needed from the man named Logan and then decide her plans for the day. Either way, she needed breakfast soon.
After searching for several minutes, but hesitant to stray too far into the bays, Marie gave up the search. She would go to the diner up the road, eat breakfast, and head back to the hotel.
After the waitress set her meal before her, she zoned out. Mentally calculating how much money was left in her back account. Her funds were beginning to run low and depending on how much this repair cost, this could be the last good meal she ate until she got to Jubilee's house.
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
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Author's Chapter Notes:
I blame my love of Hugh Jackman as both Wolverine and Drover and a need for sweaty, grease covered Logan for this story.
I will not apologize! Lol
I will not apologize! Lol
Chapter End Notes:
I cannot promise updates will be frequent, but I will promise that I will finish this story.
Reviews are appreciated. Constructive criticism welcome. It's been ten plus years since I've written and I'm more than certain I'm rusty.
Reviews are appreciated. Constructive criticism welcome. It's been ten plus years since I've written and I'm more than certain I'm rusty.