For the first time in nearly four years Marie found herself alone with her mother.

Tricia seemed to notice as well and smiled softly at her while she tried to come up with something to say. "You've grown up so much," she commented after a few minutes, watching her granddaughter sleeping on her daughters’ shoulder.

"Well I should hope so," Marie replied, "I was just a tad irritating in my younger days," she joked.

"You did have your moments," Tricia agreed with a laugh. She sobered up a moment later before commenting, "I'm sorry for what was said, I'm even more sorry for what was left unsaid, I'm sorry for not making more of an effort to find you sooner, I- I thought you would just calm down and come home again and we could work everything out but you never did..." Tricia dabbed at her fresh tears, as she remembered the moment she realised her daughter wasn't coming home.

"I'm sorry too, but not for leaving, it was the right thing to do, and I never would have ended up here if I hadn't," Marie pointed out with a smile.

"You- you really are happy?" Tricia asked eventually.

"I am," Marie replied, gazing down adoringly at her sleeping daughter, "I've never been so happy in my life, I've got my babies, I've got Logan... so tell me truly momma, what do you think of Logan?" Marie asked, trying to stifle her apprehension at what her mother may reply.

Tricia considered her response, her initial fears about Logan were that he was too old, and too rough for her sweet little girl. While he was both of those things no doubt, he also clearly cared for her deeply. She was confident he wasn't just interested in Marie because she was young and pretty, and he was definitely a good father, gentle, patient, and compassionate, all things one wouldn't assume by just looking at him.

"I think he loves you more than anything, and would do whatever was in his power to make you happy, and you really can't ask for more than that from a man, you made a good choice," Tricia answered her, "You two make beautiful babies too, but did you have to start so young?"

Marie laughed brightly. "Why not? I always did want lots of kids," she reminded her.

"That is true, you've always been a real little mother, always dragging something home and wanting to keep it." Tricia recalled fondly, finding homes for the various animals Marie had brought home with her through her childhood had been a task and a half.

"So, how did you track me down?" Marie asked a moment later, suddenly recalling she didn't know how her mother had come back to their life.

"Well, I was cleaning out your daddy’s den when I found a letter from you--"

"Why were you cleaning daddy’s den?" Marie interrupted. Daddy didn't like anyone moving things around in there, even complaining to momma about her 'moving things' when she had done nothing more than dusted in there.

Logan came up the stairs in time to hear Marie's comment, and the underlying stress of the query. Sharing a look with Tricia he gently extricated the sleeping baby from Marie's arms, and laid her down in her basket, before he took a seat next to Marie. Whatever news was about to be shared was not good.

Tricia waited for Logan before she began. "Sweetie, your daddy passed away, about two months ago...” she paused as Marie stared at her in shock while the news sank in, her sobs muffled when Logan pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. Once Marie's initial shock had worn off Tricia continued, "I don't know why he never told me about the letter, he wrote a reply to you but he never sent it, I brought it with me because I thought you should read it but that can wait--"

"No!" Marie interrupted again, "Can I read it, now?"

"Of course, I'll just go get it," Tricia answered, as she rose to go after her bags.

When she returned, she was loathe to interrupt the moment between the pair on the couch. Marie was sitting across Logan's lap, her head resting on his shoulder as she cried softly. Logan was gently rubbing circles on her back as he whispered something, obviously comforting, to her. The moment was broken when Logan noticed her enter the room, and Marie turned her attention to the folded paper in her hand. Handing the letter over Tricia sat and waited.

"You read it for me," Marie said, after a moment’s hesitation, pushing the letter at Logan.

"Darlin I think you n--" Logan tried to speak.

"Logan I can't see the words, please, read it for me," Marie begged again, she needed to know what it said. With an acquiescing nod Logan took the paper from her hand, and unfolded it before reading out the scrawl on the page.

The letter began by apologising for words said that weren't meant, and for making Marie feel like she had no choice but to leave, her father stated that hadn't been his intention, that he had been scared for her but it was not right of him to have heaped everything on her as if she were to blame. He went on to say how proud he was of her, for her strength and tenacity, and urged her never to lose those qualities, and how he hoped she was telling the truth that her time on the road had not been too hard on her. He congratulated her on getting control of her mutation, and getting into school, and encouraged her to pursue her education. He finished the letter by saying he didn't know when he would send it, he was ashamed with himself and didn't feel like he deserved her forgiveness, which he knew she would give because that was always how she had been. He signed off the letter with his love.

As Logan finished reading, he sat in silence as Marie digested the information. She wasn't crying, though tears were leaking through her lashes, and she had a soft smile on her lips. After a few minutes she opened her eyes and looked up at Logan.

"Daddy would have liked you too," she announced decisively.

"You think?" Logan asked with a grin, he doubted it but he wasn't going to burst her bubble.

"I think so too," Tricia replied, smiling through her own tears. "Anyway, I found the letter, and it had the address for the school, I flew to New York the next day, explained to Mr Xavier who I was and that I was trying to find you, and now today, I'm here."

They chatted for a while longer, Tricia filling Marie in on the goings on in Mississippi, before Marie yawned widely and Logan announced she really did need to sleep now. Marie showed her mother to her room, hugging her again, just in case this was all a dream and when she woke up she was gone again. She joined Logan upstairs a short time later, where he was already waiting for her in bed with an again hungry baby.

As they spooned together in bed as they drifted off to sleep a concerning thought brushed her mind, everything was going so well right now something was bound to go wrong. She shuddered as she pushed the thought away, and turned to bury her face in Logan's chest.

--

Their visitors stayed for a week, taking care of all the cooking and cleaning, and even minding the boys while Logan and Marie bonded with the new baby. For Marie it was a nightmare, it was like having five extra Logan's to harass her about getting enough sleep, not going outside in case she got sick, encouraging her to eat far too much food, and generally treating her like an invalid.

"I'm going for a walk!" she announced, early on the last afternoon of their guests stay. "No, I don’t need to sleep, no I don’t need to eat, yes I'll wear my coat and a scarf, no Keaira doesn't need to feed yet, I will be back in an hour." She was leaving no room for argument, she needed to get out of the house for a while.

"Yes dear," Logan grinned at her, even he had been able to tell she was getting over the coddling, "Can I make one request?"

"You can request but that doesn't mean it will be granted," Marie informed him.

"May I come with you? Might be the last time we get some alone time for a while," he whispered in her ear.

Marie laughed in response. "You may come with me," she replied, kissing him softly, "But only if you don't slow me down, hurry up." She was out the door and off down the driveway before Logan had finished kicking his boots on, he jogged to catch up as he pulled on his own coat.

They wandered down the nearly deserted road toward the highway, hand in hand. The road was an easier surface for Marie to walk on, she wasn't going to risk trying to trek across country yet, so they wandered in the direction of the highway, about twenty minutes’ walk away. They passed a few cars as they went, most belonging to neighbours, some they knew, some they didn't, they waved greetings anyway. A couple of neighbours stopped to talk and ask after the new baby and promised to stop in at some point to meet her, one mother declaring the boys had been missed at playgroup the last couple of weeks, and offered to take them off their hands for a couple of hours if they needed a break.

In all it was a pleasant excursion, the air was crisp but not cold, and Marie ended up unwrapping her scarf and unbuttoning her coat. She shot Logan a look that dared him to say something, he wisely kept his mouth shut. Their little world was peaceful and calm, even the sight of a large unknown vehicle parked on their street wasn't enough to arouse undue suspicion.

They fare welled their guests later that afternoon, with lots of laughter and only a few tears. Helen and Peter begged them to visit 'soon', Tricia promised to fly up and visit them from Mississippi 'when it's a bit warmer', and Jean reminded Marie again to send more photos back to New York and to visit whenever they came east.

With that they were alone again, their perfect little family in their cosy little cabin, in the middle of the snowy woods.
You must login (register) to review.