"Before we go in, they're throwing you a surprise party, so be prepared for someone to jump out and scream but still act surprised, I didn't tell you about it," Logan whispered to her with a grin, as they walked side-by-side up the stairs to the front door of the mansion.
They opened the door to a surprisingly quiet building, not a person to be seen, and deathly silent. "Where is everyone?" Marie said out loud, she had been living in the mansion for five months and had never heard it this quiet before.
All of a sudden, a young girl popped her head out of the rec room and stage whispered, 'in here', before disappearing back through the door. Marie walked down the hall tentatively, Logan following her. As soon as she entered the room it erupted in shouts and whoops and hollers, with the overwhelming theme of 'happy birthday'. Logan had stayed outside the room for the initial reaction but even he wasn't prepared for the sudden explosion of sound, he was glad he had warned her it was coming.
On entering the room, he noted the crowd had now swarmed Rogue wrapping her in a stream of quick, careful hugs. He stood back and let her enjoy the attention, listening as she gushed over the decorations, there were dark green and silver streamers and balloons. As Rogue reached the centre of the room, someone set off a small confetti cannon showering her with tiny shimmering silver particles.
Logan stood leaning against the doorway watching the goings on, ordinarily he didn't like large gatherings of people but there was no way he was leaving Marie alone. He was concerned someone was going to hit the fan and ruin her birthday party as soon as they noticed the baby bump that, in her new shirt, was not as well hidden as it had been under the sweater she had been wearing when they had left. So far it appeared no one had yet noticed.
Just as he thought that he spied Scott's brow furrow in confusion, he watched as the younger man leaned closer to his fiancée and whispered something in her ear. Jean, who had been smiling and laughing along with everyone else, suddenly looked surprised, her eyes turned to, and quickly scanned over, Rogue, before her eyes widened in shock. As they engaged in a hushed conversation, Logan began to make his way over to them.
"Do anything to spoil her birthday and I'll make you wish you hadn't," he growled, as he stepped up behind the pair of them.
"You knew?!" Jean hissed as she turned on him. She had gone from shocked to furious, in the time it had taken him to cross the room.
"She told me this afternoon," Logan informed her, "Don't bring it up now, just let her enjoy her birthday, you can lose your shit tomorrow- if you think it will help the situation."
Scott released a strained sigh. "That's a fair enough point, we'll speak to her tomorrow. Why did she keep it a secret though?" he demanded of Logan.
"Tomorrow," Logan responded, bluntly, as he spied Marie moving towards them.
"Oh my gosh, this is amazing, thank you all so much," Marie gushed, hugging Scott, and Jean, though Logan noted she tried to avoid too much contact with each of them, before she moved on to Ororo and Chuck.
*'Tomorrow,'* the Professor mentally advised, a brief flicker of concern crossing his face as he glanced toward Logan, over Rogue's shoulder, when she stooped to hug him.
"Alright, I think I've hugged everyone, now I'm going to grab some of that food," Marie announced, turning to the table piled high with tasty Southern-style appetizers and finger foods.
Logan took the distraction of Marie's rapidly disappearing form to slip away from the group of adults. He was not hanging around there longer than he had to, tomorrow would come too soon on that front. Moving over to the table a short while later to get himself some food, now that the crowd was starting to disburse. He was just in time to hear one of Marie's friends, a loud yellow-clad Asian girl, squeal as she rushed up to Marie and carefully wrapped her arms around her as she bounced up and down excitedly.
"Watch it Jubes, I'd like to keep my dinner off the floor," Marie replied, trying to sound mad with her but failing.
"Chica, I totally knew you were hiding something under those frumpy tops," the yellow kid announced.
A second girl approached, quieter than the first. “Shush Jubes, you don't need to announce it to the room," she addressed her loud friend.
"Yeah," Marie replied quietly, "I'd like it to just, be a fact, you know, don't make a fuss, Jubes, you're great at minimising drama, just pretend like 'everyone knew that' or something, please," Marie begged her friend, "I really don't want to be bombarded with people asking questions and stuff, it's going to be bad enough when the Professor calls me in to explain, I'm expecting that bright and early tomorrow," she cringed slightly at the thought.
"You mean they didn't even know?" Kitty asked surprised.
Marie just shook her head as she stuffed food in her mouth, hoping they would get the hint and stop talking about it.
"Alright fine, I can take a hint chica, diversionary tactics will be deployed, cause like how did you not know that, everyone knew that you numbskull, jeez. But you are totally going to owe me a full explanation at some point girl, we'll have our own private party tomorrow or something," the mouthy Asian winked and nudged Marie, "I'd say ‘I’ll bring the booze’ but I guess that's doubly out of the question now!"
"Damn straight," Logan muttered, loud enough for the girls to hear, as he sat down on the back of the couch behind them. If they were going to be staying at the school, he had better get to know Marie's friends, these two appeared to be the closest to her.
"Yes Logan," Marie rolled her eyes at him, with a grin. "Logan this is Jubilee, and this is Kitty, and we are the 'Terrible Trio', according to Scott, I will just add, I am the sweet innocent Southern Belle who gets in trouble purely by association because I am far too sweet and innocent to be the main instigator and tactician," Marie added, with a conspiratorial wink.
"So that's how you get out of all the punishments!" Jubilee muttered, trying to sound annoyed, before she joined in with Kitty's giggles.
Before their conversation could move on a voice called for attention from across the room. "Alright everyone, now that you're all fed, let’s let Rogue open her presents, and then we'll bring out whatever is left of the cake that the boys haven't found yet."
"Ha ha, very funny," a dark-haired boy called out from the other side of the room.
"Sounds like there's a story behind that comment," Logan hinted to the girls.
Jubilee sniggered, as Kitty replied, "On Dr Grey's birthday, Mr Summer's bought her a fancy cake, the boys found it and ate it, they were finishing it off when Mr Summers brought Dr Grey into the kitchen for 'a surprise', let's just say, they were both surprised."
Before long Rogue had been ushered across the room, along with her personal bodyguards, Jubilee and Kitty, to the pool table that was sporting a decent pile of gifts. It took half an hour for her to work her way through the pile. While she was gushing over gifts Logan collected his pack, that he had dropped in the hall, and pulled out the gift he brought with him. It wasn't wrapped in flashy paper like the others but he knew Marie wouldn't care.
As Marie picked up the last present off the table, he placed his next to her for her to open last, she flashed him a brilliant smile as he moved to the back of the room and resumed watching. If her growing belly had caused a stir what was about to happen was going to be impressive, he smothered his grin and waited.
"Oh, Professor, it's lovely," Marie said, holding up the necklace box for everyone to see the delicate chain, with a pendant shaped like the school and X-men's logo of an X inside a circle. She snapped the box shut once she had gushed over it adequately, and added it to the pile of gifts.
Picking up the paper bag that contained the last gift, Marie unrolled the top of the bag and gently pulled out the black leather she could see inside. She dropped the bag as she held up the black leather motorcycle jacket inside.
"Oh my god!" she exclaimed over the jacket, running her fingers over the forest green, mandala-inspired embroidery that covered the back and sleeves of the jacket. "It's amazing," she said in awe, as she pulled the jacket on in front of the dropped jaws, and bugging eyes of her jealous classmates, and shocked teachers.
"Might take a while to zip it up," Jubilee joked. Marie just laughed at that, pleased how Jubes had already begun normalising her current condition.
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Chapter End Notes:
Dont worry, this party ain't over yet...!