"Well, today has been interesting," Marie announced, once all three babies were fed and wrapped up asleep.
"Today is going to be a walk in the park compared to the next few months," Logan pointed out, wrapping his arms around her as he watched their expanded family slumber. Even Aidan and Liam had fallen asleep on the couch.
"I wish we could stay longer but we have to head off," Scott told them, ignoring Kitty's pout. The sun was beginning to sink in the west. "Is there anything you guys need?"
"Chuck wouldn't happen to know of a mutant friendly housekeeper in the area would he, not really the kind of thing you want to go around asking after," Logan replied, with a grimace.
"I'll ask him," Scott replied. "Or maybe someone would be willing to relocate if you can provide accommodation, a graduating student maybe," he suggested.
"That's not a bad idea actually," Logan said thoughtfully, "We do need that new garage, could put an apartment over it, that way we'd have someone on hand if there was an emergency." Marie thought he was worrying for nothing but that was Logan, always prepared for everything, and that was one of the things she loved about him.
It wasn't until the jet was leaving that Marie realised Victor was still there, Anna too, though she had been offered a place at the school she had declined. Marie felt her anxiety creep up as she turned toward him, he looked even more uncertain than she felt, which made her feel marginally better.
"Thank you," was all he said, surprising her, and she suddenly found she didn't know how to respond.
After a moment she stepped forward, he looked momentarily panicked, and like he wanted to run but he held his ground and waited. She reached out and took his hand, taking a deep steadying breath before she looked up at him, tamping down on the part of her that wanted to drain him until he was an empty husk.
"We'll take care of him, and- and you should visit sometime-" he shook his head before she smiled and repeated- "You should, you're family, no matter how you look at it. You did a shitty thing, and I won't lie, it's going to be hard for me to trust you, but what's done is done, we are all going to be around a hell of a long time so we need to put this behind us, you've proven you've got our back when we need it, today could have been so different if you hadn't been there-" she shuddered at the thought if what could have happened had they been attacked by the military in the middle of the night- "I know you're sorry, and I forgive you, I won't forget but I do forgive and I hope you can accept that, for Liam's sake."
He pulled her forward as he wrapped his arms around her, he felt her tense and almost pulled away again but then he felt her own arms wrap around him in return. Letting out a sigh of relief, he felt some of the guilt that had been eating at him lighten. "Thank you," was all he said, again.
When they finally broke apart, Victor turned to Logan. "You know, the worst part about this whole fucked up situation is, I don't even remember what we fell out over in the first place, I don't remember why I hated you so much, I realised recently that no matter what it was, it could never justify what I did to you, to both of you, I'm truly am sorry," he said, genuinely remorseful.
"I'm sorry too," Logan replied, "There's a lot I don't remember, in fact I barely even remember you and those memories I do have, have all been tainted… but Marie's right, we have to move on, for everyone's sake, we can keep taking eyes for eyes but we're just going to heal up to do that shit all over again for the rest of forever, I prefer the idea of working together, much more productive, less self-destructive. I forgive you." Logan pulled Victor into hug, and for a moment it felt like it had back when they had been brothers, side by side, taking on the world together.
The boys wandered outside looking for their parents then, sleepily rubbing at their eyes and yawning, as they stumbled toward them. Seeing their parents giving people hugs spurred the boys on to copy. Victor looked to Marie for permission when Liam offered him a hug, she nodded her approval before he bobbed down to Liam’s level and for the first time held his son. Aidan joined in the hug too, when he was finished giving Anna a hug, before they both ran off to play.
Marie hugged Anna goodbye, thanking her for taking care of the little lab babies, and inviting her to come back and visit too.
"Make sure he stays out of trouble," Logan commented to Anna, nodding to the other feral, as he hugged her goodbye too. He wasn't quite sure how it happened but it seemed his brother had attracted a waif of his own, he hoped for the both of them that however things worked out between them it would make them both as happy as he and Marie were.
Victor rolled his eyes. "Get in the car kid before I leave you behind," he grunted gruffly, turning for the beat up pick up; he had shown enough emotion today to last him a good few more months. The truck rolled out of the driveway a few minutes later, Anna waving out the window behind them.
As the sound of the engine died away to be replaced with the gentle rush of wind through the trees around them, Marie smiled happily.
"What are you grinning about?" Logan queried, as he wrapped her in his arms and began to slowly walk her backward toward the cabin.
"You realise we have to do the naming thing all over again," she replied, smiling happily.
"That brain of yours better get busy coming up with a new list then," Logan replied with a chuckle and a kiss as they stepped inside, almost tripping over the two little boys that scooted in around them.
The door closed softly behind them.
A quiet and calm beginning to what was sure to be a tumultuous future.
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Chapter End Notes:
The end! Maybe. My muse actually continued to build this world after this story was 'finished', you might recall a few chapters back Marie making a comment about "I always wanted lots of children"... they have a *lot* of kids, and I do have an idea for a future sequel planned so maybe there will be more! Either way they live happily ever after.
Also, sorry for anyone who is upset about Marie forgiving Victor, it doesn't mean they're going to be all buddy-buddy all of a sudden, that's just a grudge she decided it wasn't worth carrying. Not least of all because one day her son is going to find out about his real father and she doesn't want to risk her relationship with him by giving him the impression she hates something about him. I know someone who was conceived in a similar manner and they always struggled with the hatred their mother held for their father, even though they accepted it was a shitty thing that he had done, they said they always worried that their mother secretly hated them too because of it.
Also, Marie knows Logan would kick Victor's ass if she so much as hinted she wanted him to...
Also, sorry for anyone who is upset about Marie forgiving Victor, it doesn't mean they're going to be all buddy-buddy all of a sudden, that's just a grudge she decided it wasn't worth carrying. Not least of all because one day her son is going to find out about his real father and she doesn't want to risk her relationship with him by giving him the impression she hates something about him. I know someone who was conceived in a similar manner and they always struggled with the hatred their mother held for their father, even though they accepted it was a shitty thing that he had done, they said they always worried that their mother secretly hated them too because of it.
Also, Marie knows Logan would kick Victor's ass if she so much as hinted she wanted him to...