Emote looked at Logan. "It's been a long day, and you need some rest. It won't be much better tomorrow."

Logan looked at her as they left the Zone. "You precognitive too?"

"Nope, just know you both. "

"So did you really read the story of my and Marie's first meeting?"

"Yeah, I did. Read the same story in Marie's mind. Actually, for different reasons and with different results, she felt the same about you. "

"Huh?"

Emote laughed. "She took one look at you, saw a rough and tumble cage fighter, and thought `This is my future?'"

Logan grinned. "Yeah, I guess I didn't look like a young woman's fantasy of the perfect life mate."

"That's what she said. But she loves you. Hold onto that. Because you hurt her, your first conversation will go much differently than the last time."

"Thanks." They reached the room Logan was to stay in. He looked. "This is Marie's room." ~Sadness, love~

"Thought you might want to be with her at least this way."

~Gratitude~ "Thanks again."

"Not a problem."

---

Next day

Marie approached Angelica's front door nervously. She'd spent the night at Emote's cabin, sleeping only because of the `cub', knowing it needed as much help to develop properly as she could give.

She was about to see Logan. Nervous didn't begin to cover how she felt.

---

Logan and Emote looked up from their lunch. They had had another session, and were waiting for Rogue.

Logan could scent her, and Emote could feel her.

~Hope, fear, love, guilt, pain, anger, anguish~

They looked at each other. "Marie."

~Love, hope, fear, guilt, pain, anguish, anger~ Logan glanced at the door.

Emote went to it and opened the door before Rogue could knock. "Come in."

Marie entered, her eyes on Logan. Damn, he looked good to her Logan-deprived senses.

Logan was thinking the same thing about Marie. He missed her so much! All he wanted to do was hold hr.

Just then, a knock at the kitchen door was heard and a tall, sandy-haired man entered. Emote's face lit up, and she smiled. She gestured toward the hall leading to her room, and the man grinned, blew her a kiss, and left. The two erstwhile lovers barely noticed.

Emote had an idea. She lightly `touched' their minds and showed them the other's feelings.

~Love, hope, pain, fear, anguish, peace, guilt, joy~ Logan

~Love, hope, pain, fear, anguish, peace, guilt, joy~ Marie

//See? More alike than you think. I'm gonna spend time with my man. I suggest you solve your problem. I've done as much as I can. If you need me, I'll be in my room.//

She left the two lovers staring at each other.

Logan broke the silence. "How've you been?"

Marie looked away. "Okay."

"So…I'm sorry."

Marie looked at the ground. "It's okay. You can't help the truth."

"It's not the truth. It was fear." That brought her eyes back up to him.

"Fear of what?"

"Of being tied down."

That made Marie mad. They'd been teammates for two years, dating for a year, lovers for nine months, and living together for six. They would be parents in seven months. She had never once asked him for anything but that he be Logan, good and bad. And he was afraid of `being tied down'?

"Don't worry, I won't ask that of you," she bit out. She would have left, but she was tired of running. She would face the dissolution of their relationship face-to-face. Logan would have to run first.

"I--I didn't mean it that way." Logan would have grabbed her arm if he hadn't known that the absorption of him would hurt her too.

"How DID you mean it? Cause it sounded like you don't want to be tied to me. I know I'm not Jean…"

"I DON'T WANT JEAN! I WANT YOU!!" Logan roared.

Marie felt a little dizzy. She had not been 100 percent all day. She ignored it. " I don't know that. Your actions tell me otherwise. How am I to believe you?"

"Because I love you! One mistake--granted one huge mistake--and I'm to be condemned? Why?" Logan cried. Was he going to be left alone without her?

"Because I'm afraid, Logan! I've loved you for so long, and after all this time of happiness with you, you call her name! I feel second best!" she cried back.

---

Emote was sitting next to her man, Ryan Thomerson. They were holding each other, just holding each other. This week had been tough. He'd been on a business trip, and she'd been… well the mutant version of "Dear Abby". She'd missed him. Suddenly, she pushed away from him. "Something's wrong," she said to Ryan's look at her. "Let's go."

---

"Second best? Marie, never, never have you been second best to me! You're the only one for me. I wish there was a way to prove it!" Logan was in agony. The biggest miracle of his life was standing right in front of him, in arm's reach, and he was terrified he was about to lose her.

"I don't know! I…" Marie suddenly paled and clutched her stomach, sinking to the floor.

"MARIE!" Logan was by her side in a second. "What's wrong?"

"Logan, take my hand," she said, holding out her bare hand. Logan hesitated. "You wanna prove I'm not second best? Trust me and take my hand. Please, Logan," she begged at his anguished look," I'm scared."

He grabbed her hand, bracing for the pull. His eyes flew to her when there was none. Just then, Emote and Ryan came flying into the kitchen. Logan's eyes flew to Angelica, then to Marie. "What's wrong, baby?"

"Exactly," Rogue gasped, wincing. At the confused looks she was getting, "Baby. Our baby, Logan. Something's wrong with our baby…our cub."

Logan was agog. Baby? Cub? This was a new twist.