"Hey Jubes," Logan said, when the phone was answered in an irritatingly chipper manner.
"Hey Wolvie! What's life like in the 'burbs huh? It's so boring here without you and Rogue, I can't do anything to Scott because he always knows it's me, I need you back so I have a scapegoat," Jubilee chattered away happily. It took her a minute to realise he wasn't responding, or laughing, or making fun of Scott right along with her. "Uh... Logan, is everything alright?" she asked, in a more subdued manner.
"No, no Jubes, it's not alright... I need my name taken off the X-Men roster, " he eventually stated with a tired sigh.
"What's happened Logan?" Jubilee asked worriedly.
"... Marie left me," he replied, clearing his throat to push aside that damn lump that was back again. "Said she regretted marrying me, she got herself an apartment in the city, and just walked out," he told her, swallowing another swig of whiskey. Jubilee's only response was dead silence. "She left Emily... can you believe it... didn't even wait around until school was finished so she could say goodbye to her," Logan added, letting out a growl of anger at Marie, for abandoning their daughter, even if it was with him.
"Oh my god... why? Did you have a fight? Was she just reacting to something?" Jubilee asked, still in disbelief.
"I have no idea Jubes, completely blindsided me, she complained about having a headache so I took Emmy to school, by the time I got back she was packed, and she just left... so I need my name off the roster, with Emmy fulltime now I can't be going on missions," Logan reiterated the reason for his call.
"Of course, I understand, I'll let Scott and the Professor know... how's Emily holding up?" Jubes asked softly.
"She seemed to accept it for now, she cried a bit when Marie wasn't there to kiss her goodnight but I called and Marie talked to her on the phone for a bit, she was a little clingy when I dropped her off at kindergarten this morning but... so far so good I guess," Logan replied.
"And how about you?" Jubilee queried, trying to keep her tone light.
Logan huffed a chuckle. "Had to swing by the liquor store on my way home this morning, stopped at three before I found one that was open... I just... was it something I did? I mean, I knew she was too good for the likes of me, I didn't deserve anyone like her but... I thought she was happy... I'd have done anything to keep her happy..." he faded off before he took another swig from the bottle, not that it did any damn good, he couldn't even get to 'numb' thanks to the goddamn healing factor.
"I don't know, I wish I could help, if it's any consolation I thought she was happy too, she gushed about how perfect you are often enough," Jubilee replied.
"Yeah, well... I better let you go, I got... something, I'll find something to do," Logan grunted half-heartedly.
"Bye Logan," Jubilee murmured, waiting until he had hung up before setting her phone down and turning to Scott and Jean, who were regarding her curiously.
--
Life settled into a new semblance of normalcy. Marie made no noise about returning, she came over on Saturday's, sometimes Sunday too. Emily seemed to enjoy her visits, though it wasn't unusual for her to cry when it came time to say goodbye. Logan still couldn't get his head around just what exactly had happened to cause all of this, he wasn't entirely sure Marie knew her own reasons, even after Jubilee had found out and taken it on herself to try and 'talk sense' into Marie.
Then one Saturday, about four months later, Marie didn't turn up.
He finally managed to get hold of her at midday, pissed at himself when the first emotion he felt was relief at knowing she was alive and apparently safe, rather than anger at her for standing Emily up.
"Look, I'm sorry, I've got a new job, shift was scheduled last minute, and I'm covering shifts over a maternity leave so Saturday's aren't going to work for me anymore, tell Emmy I'm sorry, as soon as I can get a day scheduled off I'll let you know and we can make up anything I miss, I really am sorry but I have to go," was Marie's excuse.
"Alright, I'll let her know, can she call you some time at least?" Logan asked, watching as Emily's face fell as she heard his side of the conversation.
"I'll call her later tonight," Marie promised.
"Okay, her bedtime is seven thirty--" Logan reminded her.
"I know Logan," Marie replied exasperatedly.
"Sorry, I just... and if you need money Marie you don't need to miss out on seeing Em, I can..."
"I don't want your money Logan and I have to go, goodbye." The line clicked before he had a chance to respond further.
"Mommy's not coming?" Emily asked sadly.
"Sorry baby girl, mommy had to work today, she's filling in for someone else... I tell you what, we don't have anything else planned today, why don't we go... to the aquarium, how about that?" Logan suggested with a grin, hoping to distract the little girl.
"Okay daddy," Emily replied with a smile, even though her reaction was subdued.
--
"Working my ass!" Jubilee fumed, she was pacing the mansions kitchen irately, as she and Logan spoke.
This Saturday he had brought Emily to the mansion to visit some of her friends given Marie was still, after almost a month, no-showing to visits.
"Jubes, I can only tell you what she told me," Logan responded, trying to keep the hurt out of his tone, even as he sighed resignedly. He didn't doubt Marie was lying, it was just what exactly she was lying about that he hadn't been able to figure out.
"I'm telling you Logan we saw her out partying in that club in town, unless her job is waitressing or stripping, she wasn't working, and she was drunk off her goddamn face so I highly doubt she was working!" Jubilee informed him, falling quiet when she saw him cringe in response before he could turn away.
A moment later a soft sniffle preceded Emily's entrance into the room.
"What happened squirt?" Logan asked, bobbing down in front of her and brushing away her tears, before he gently picked the gravel out of her skinned palms when she wordlessly held her hands out to him. Jubilee handed him some antiseptic wipes from the kitchen's first aid kit so he could clean Emily's hands, before he wrapped them in a clean bandage and offered her a lollipop, for being such a brave girl.
Emily grunted a negative reply - turning down a lollipop...? If Logan had learned anything about kids since becoming a father it was enough to know that wasn't a good sign - as she hugged him, tears leaking down her cheeks again. "I want to go home," she whispered.
"What about your friends, don't you want to go play some more?" Logan asked encouragingly.
"No," Emily replied, grumpily, "I want to go home," she reiterated.
"Alright then squirt, we'll go say goodbye to everyone?" Logan replied, giving the little girl a squeeze as she promptly said goodbye to Jubilee; the only other person in the room.
Later that night, when Logan finally gave up trying to watch hockey, he decided to check on Emily one last time. She had been withdrawn and quiet all afternoon, since they returned from the mansion, the only request she had made was to call Marie at bedtime. Unfortunately, this time, not for the first time over the last couple of months, the call went unanswered before Emmy had wandered off to bed looking dejected.
"You're supposed to be sleeping sweetheart," Logan murmured, kneeling down beside her bed, resting a hand on her shoulder as Emily sniffled softly.
"Why doesn't mommy love me?" Emily whispered to the wall.
"Hey now, who said that? Your mommy loves you kiddo, more than anything, don't you ever think otherwise," Logan replied, gently but firmly, as he rolled her over to face him.
"Then why did she go away? Why won't she come to see me? Was I naughty?" Emily asked, sobbing as she looked up at him pleadingly, begging for an answer.
"No sweetheart, you weren't naughty... I don't... your mommy was... she just needed some time to think, she didn't go away because of you baby, she went away because of her, she does love you, she loves you so much, from the very minute she knew you were going to be born she loved you, when you were still in her tummy she used to read stories to you, and when you were a tiny little baby she would sing to you, and she would sit up at night just to watch you sleep..." Logan told her softly, a tender smile slipping free as he remembered the happiest time of their lives.
"Sammy's mommy probably did that too but it didn't stop her from kicking Sammy out of her house when she made the glass break," Emily replied angrily.
"Samantha's situation is a lot different to yours baby, Sammy's parents were assholes who didn't love her genetics, your mommy loves you, your mommy knew all about your genetics before you were even born and loved you no matter what... I'm sorry you're feeling all mixed up baby, it'll get better though... Cassie's mommy and daddy live in different houses you know, they both still love Cassie, and she doesn't see her daddy sometimes for long times, you know that, it's the same with your mommy at the moment," Logan offered.
"Does mommy go to the desert to fight the bad guys like Cassie's daddy?" Emily asked curiously.
"Mommy's bad guys aren't in the desert, mom- mommy's bad guys are inside her head, and right now she needs to go away and fight them," Logan tried, he didn't like suggesting Marie was nuts but... he was kind of out of other possible explanations for her behaviour.
"Like from her mutation?" Emily asked, scrunching her nose up in thought, "But daddy, aren't you in mommy's head... you're not a bad guy!"
"I'm one of the people that was in mommy's head, I hope she doesn't think I'm a bad guy," Logan replied, with a grimace.
"Maybe you're helping mommy fight the bad guys?" Emily suggested, for the first time all afternoon a smile lighting her face.
"I hope so sweetheart," Logan answered, kissing her forehead tenderly, "Now you go to sleep, squirt."
"Daddy, can I have a sleepover in your bed tonight?" Emily asked softly, her big brown eyes melting as they begged him.
"How about we have a sleepover in your bed," Logan suggested, grinning when Emily immediately scooted over so he could lie down beside her before she threw her little arms around him as far as she could reach.
"Night-night, daddy," Emily murmured, falling asleep quickly. She was smiling happily lost in dreams when he slipped out of her bed unnoticed an hour later, and headed for his own bed.
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