Logan wasn’t sure when he had settled.

It had not even occurred to him that he had, till December started.

Till then he just took a break from past-searching and all the disappointments it held for him. It were supposed to be two or maybe three weeks. At the beginning of December he was up to five month.

And the only thing that brought this to his focus where all the Christmas preparations that suddenly started left and right.

And though he was rather reluctant to admit it: it scared him. It really scared him. And that was a rare thing to happen.

He knew anger and rage, he new how to brood or how to be indifferent. On rare occasions he even knew how to be happy. He also knew the general feeling of fear and he did so way better then he wanted to.

But to be scared of something... that was a rare thing.

For most people it would have been completely irrational to be scared of some holidays, but to Logan this were the first Christmas he had a realistic chance of attending with people he could call friends. He did not need to spend it on the road or in some faceless motel room while all the world went quiet.

He would have denied it to everyone asking, but he hated Christmas on the roads.

First of all it was really hard to ignore. The single houses started to blink and glitter with lights. Each and every single window in the apartment houses seemed to have spurted some stars or candles or something similar. Christmas carols started to invade every single music station. There was that unmistakable smell of cookies. The excitement and crowded streets of people shopping for the festivities. And then, from one moment to the next, it was all gone, as people gathered with their families and friends and just minded their own businesses for a few hours. Everything was quite and the price he had to pay for something he would have usually thought of as pure bliss was the knowledge that he was spending another Christmas alone. No family, no friends, no one to turn to.

So he usually took up heavy drinking till he lost conscious and the holidays were hopefully over when he woke up again.

But this time it could be different.

This time he could be part of it.

And mixed with that was the surreal feeling that the moment he would start to participate in this, it would shatter and he would spend another Christmas all on his own.

He even considered to just hit the road and run from his personal demons, when finally his brain caught up with reality.

It was about Marie.

Well things lately were almost always about Marie.

But this was different.

She seemed perfectly normal toward everyone else. She went shopping with the rest. She helped decorating. She enjoyed her chocolate filled Christmas calendar. Like all the others she seemed a little more secretive lately. That was to be expected. But what caught him off guard was the way she always seemed to have an eye on him. Lately she knew before he did, when they were about to meet in a room or on a corridor. And a few times he even caught her stuffing something into the pockets of her jeans.

Logan checked for possible reasons: there was no smell of chemicals, drugs, alcohol or males on her, though she seemed to have taken up a liking for chamomile hand creme lately. Scott did not scowl her, so she most likely had not broken one of the many rules in the mansion. And she didn’t seem to behave that way with anyone else.

And finally there was only one explanation left: Marie prepared a present for him and she did not want him to see it before hand!

When this realization finally hit him - together with one that told him that he had not made a single move to buy presents - his head started spinning.

It was one week short of Christmas and while everyone else was almost done with the preparations, he had not even started! How could that have happened? Especially while Marie was obviously busy with his present!

So he did what he did best: grabbing his jacket and stealing Scott's bike.

Of cause she noticed it. He knew that she was starring out of the window as soon as the first roar of the machine sounded through the garage.

And of cause she was at the window when he reached the gates.

Normally he would have turned up the engine and just left, but for a reason he wasn’t all that willing to examine, he waved till she opened the window and shouted almost loud enough for the entire mansion to hear “Save me a place at the Christmas table, will you? It would be a pity to let all the food go to waste.”

She gave him the thumbs up and he knew they were both grinning rather smug.

But be it that way. For the first time in his remembered life he had not only promised to be back but also said a certain time, and even more unbelievable: he intended to keep it.

---

Christmas gift shopping was a nightmare.

To many people, to many different smells, to less space and whining kids everywhere.

Only five minutes after entering the mall he already felt an immense headache coming his way.

And seeing that he had no idea what to get for Marie, he started with everyone else.

Bike-gloves for Scott. Some Whiskey for the Professor and once he was at it, Logan bought one for himself. An Operation Rescue Unit game for Jean and Hank as a prank gift. A German bible for Kurt. Some African art for Ororo.

Kinda content with what he got he placed his price in a locker and walked another round in the hope of finding something.

An hour later he still had not come up with an idea.

The green satin scarf didn’t seem to fit, CDs weren’t personal enough, he did not know what she liked to read, jewels seemed too much, he did not know if she liked little sculptures or something like that and in general he had to admit that he knew very little about her.

Otherwise he should have come up with an idea by now.

A little frustrated he turned into the next bar and tried to figure things out over a bottle of beer or two.

Who would have thought that finding a gift for a young girl could be that hard?

And over the third beer he finally started to think it over. What could he do to give her a surprise? What would she be happy about?

Of cause the second question was far easier to answer. She would wish for something no one could grant her: to touch, to be normal, to not have people keep their distance. But that was out of his powers.

Around the fifth beer and the third whiskey he finally had a sudden inspiration.

Logan asked the bartender for a sheet of paper, wrote down something he hoped he would be able to identify next day and went to grab the belonging that were still inside the locker.

He needed to place them somewhere else, where he would be able to still get them back about a week later, and he needed to travel in order to cage-fight. Because if this idea would work out he would need money. And if it did not work, he would at least be able to work of some frustration.

Anyway: he would go, fight and get drunken, and if nothing else he would embrace a part of his personality that he had not allowed to show for the last few months.

---

It was the evening before Christmas - or rather the night - and Logan still wasn’t back.

Marie wasn’t stupid. Beside the thing he had shouted to her when he had left, the chances that he would be back for the holidays were rather small. She knew he hated Christmas. When she had allowed herself to think it through for a moment, she had to admit that she was kinda surprised he had not taken off earlier.

But just it case he should really keep his promise, she was here, spreading his present on his bed.

And well, she would most likely just put it away and never talk about it if he was not there again by January or February, just as she had done with his ‘Birthday’ gift.

It had been only a small thing, a bottle of whiskey she had acquired in a not so legal way and that would have still been inside of Logan’s nightstand, had her own nightmares not driven her to it again and again. She had always left it in his room. People could take her sleeping in his room as what ever they wanted, as long as they did not say anything about it into Logan's face. She knew she could explain it easily and he would most likely not even be mad about it, but she did not want him to feel like she intruded his personal space.

And should he really not make it back, she had the feeling that she would keep this present as well.

But for the time being, she continued placing pieces of paper on his bed.

The idea of him coming home, all tired and groggy, just tossing the entire thing on the carpet because he wanted to sleep, caused the corners of her mouth to pull upwards.

Yeah, she could be a brat from time to time.

---

Logan still felt the fading ache in his muscles.

The fights had been long and hard and he had taken some damage that at least for others could have been severe. For him it was a way to work out he had not allowed himself in a rather long time.

Plus: it had gotten him a considerable amount of money. The thing that had made him cage fighting to begin with, was not much more then a nice side effect. But it was a good foundation for Marie’s Christmas present.

He had placed the gifts for everyone else beneath the tree and for a moment he had considered placing hers there with all the rest, but it was something he rather delivered privately.

He really wanted to see her face when she got it, but for the moment he wanted nothing more then a good hot shower and some sleep that even with his healing factor would hopefully turn out to be long and blissful.

But as soon as he reached his room he knew there might be some trouble with that plan, seeing that the all to familiar smell of Marie hit his nose.

He wasn’t exactly sure what she was doing in his room, but the easiest way to find that out was to just ask.

Still the words died on his lips as soon as he opened the door. A rather smug looking Marie was eyeing a huge pile of paper on his bed. As far as he could make out, they were all folded into some vaguely familiar form and judging from one overgrown exemplar in the middle of his bed, they might be birds of some kind. Maybe swans. A whole army of them.

And they had a rather unanticipated consequence: for the first time in a really long while Logan found himself lost for words.

Seriously. How to react to a girl who had just placed an entire army of... things on his bed?

He was spared coming up with something witty, seeing that Marie choose this moment to turn around and a rather startled look crossed her face.

“Logan?”

“Marie?”

“You weren’t supposed to see this yet!”

Her protest sounded a little weak and she knew that there was hardly anything she could do as Logan came closer.

He noticed how her eyes darted between him and the door and with ease he used his right foot to close said one behind him. What ever she had come up this time, she deserved to squirm a little and what the hell was that on his bed?

Nervousness crossed her face and he watched an reaction that wasn’t all that unknown to him. She started to babble.

“Look, I really didn’t mean to intrude. I was just setting up your Christmas present, you see? Well, of cause you do, which is no good, because you weren’t supposed to see it yet. After all Christmas only starts in a few hours. And you see.... it is all explained in the envelope on your nightstand and I rather... I think I rather go back into my room and get some sleep.... or something like that.”

She tried to inch to the door, but of cause Logan would not let her.

He was more then curious, and after all his present wasn’t much more than an envelope either, and once they were at it, they could as well gift each other right now.

“Well, since your present is kinda blocking my sleeping place, I think I will read it right now. And in the mean time...”

Logan pulled an envelope out of his pocket. It looked like it had seen better times, but it was the content that mattered, and as long as she could still read it, things would be fine.

So the two stood in front of each other, smirking while they opened the letter the other had given them and started to read.

Logan had a definite advantage. The letter he had gotten was way shorter then the things he had written. It explained in pretty brief words the legend of the paper cranes. Everyone who managed to fold 1.000 of these things was allowed to wish for something. And, as Marie wrote in her letter, she had wished for Logan to have a better sleep. One without nightmares if that was possible. And, seeing that she knew that wishful thinking alone did not necessary do the deed, she had also placed a bottle of valerian underneath the overgrown crane.

Skeptically Logan lifted the object in question, and there really was a med. bottle underneath it.

Though he did not believe that her present would really help to bring him some peaceful sleep, something inside his body still went all mushy and he had her in a crushing embrace before he even realized that he stepped forward to hug her.

A small voice saying his name brought him back to his senses and slightly embarrassed he took a step back and looked down on her.

“Yes?”

Tears were pricking at the corners of her eyes and with a shaky voice she spoke “You really mean this? I mean: you did not just write it because you didn’t find anything for me this Christmas and hope I will never call you on this promise, right?”

“Marie, you should know that I don’t promise something I don’t intend to keep.”

With a happy sob she flung herself around his neck, rumpling the paper in her hand even more.

“You really would take me on a small road trip between Christmas and New Year? Four days away from everything, the mansions, the happy holiday couples, the mistletoes, the people who say they are friends and still keep a safety distance because of my skin?” She sobbed against his neck. He just nodded, because that were all the arguments he had thought up when he had written the letter. And from region of his neck he heard a “You’re awesome.”

And with a smile he answered “You too.”

The next day was a little hard on Marie.

Of cause she was as excited about Christmas as everyone else. But she had been in bed around two or three and all the little kids went all screaming and shouting in the hallways around eight... or maybe half past seven. What ever it was, it was way to early.

The short night was kinda compensated by the excitement, but she needed some coffee first.

When she entered the room with the huge Christmas tree she was greeted with a buzzing of noises.

Like always the kids were the fastest and the older ones just had to divide the remaining presents among themselves.

The teachers only had to grab the presents that were still present after the second raid.

Marie sat down in front of an untouched pile that others must have gotten for her from underneath the Christmas tree so she would not run the danger of touching anyone in all that turmoil.

Marie knew they only meant good. But it were the small things like that, that made her feel like a outsider, even in the middle of all these people.

Normally she would have felt a small peng at such an occasion, but there still was that slightly mushy feeling because of the gift that Logan had given her.

Speaking of Logan. He was standing across the room, talking to Jean and when their eyes met they winked at each other.

Marie's lips turned upward. She knew her eyes were still a little puffy and red, but right now she felt her spirits lift and sat down beside the others.

This year they had agreed to collect some money and among themselves so that they all got only one present from all the others. Of cause Jubes and Kitty had gotten something for the boys in their lives, but that would be given out later and in privacy.

So for now they just had the official gifting ceremony.

John was playing with a lighter in his free hand with which he played unconsciously, while he turned the beat’m’up video game in his other hand.

Bobby was all hyper about the new toolbox. Scott had given some money for that one too, which had been expected, seeing that the two men were almost constantly in the garage, working on the cars and bikes. And with that Bobby was the only one of the teenagers, that had gotten a present from the teachers.

Kitty was trying on a pair of silver earrings she had wished for. No on had a doubt that she would use the Christmas prom the next day to wear them proudly.

Piotr was skimming through a huge coffee-table book about Russia.

And Jubilee unwrapped the two newest entries for her rapidly growing DVD collection.

Marie knew what was in the package she moved to unpack, when Kurt’s grateful and even slightly teary voice rang through the entire room, causing everyone to turn their heads toward Kurt, who was clutching a bible, and toward Logan, who clearly had not expected such a reaction and was slightly uncomfortable due to all this attention.

But once at it of cause all the little kids wanted to know what the grown ups had gotten and were not only rewarded by the sight of Jean looking completely dumbfounded when she saw the prank gift Logan had gotten her and Hank, but also by her recovering rather quickly and actually joking along, playing a round and loosing to Hank.

Of cause the game was quickly occupied by others and after the sixth or seventh annoying *beep* Logan already started to wish he had come up with something different.

---

Dinner had been more then enough.

Marie couldn’t remember when she had last felt so stuffed. What was all the more precious, because she still remembered the hunger, that had been her constant companion when she had lived on the street.

But now, full and warm and happy these times seemed distant. She still felt grateful to have made it till here.

On the streets she might have been dead by now.

Of cause, being here did not necessarily mean that her live span was going to be long.

But right now it was enough and she could deal with her day to day live.

After all the snowball fight was up next. Bobby had been running around asking each and every one if they wanted to participate and even Rogue would be able to participate this time, because throwing snowballs did not involve skin on skin contact.

So once she was no danger for anyone.

Wrapped in layers of clothing she made her way into the garden, when Logan passed her way.

“Hey, Kid. You cold?”

“Nah~” She grinned. “There’s going to be a snowball fight and I fully intend to participate. With a little luck I even take out an opponent or two.”

“Then I better don’t stand in your way. Just...” Logan trailed off.

“Just?” Marie looked concerned.

“I am planning on leaving tomorrow at midnight, that is if that is fine with you. We can get a good start and in the morning we are already far from here. Of cause that means sneaking out of the prom, if that isn’t a problem with you.”

Marie grinned again. “No. That’s actually cool. I’ll make sure to be ready.”

And with a bounce in her steps she made it to the snowball fight.

---

The day had been uneventful so far.

The gifting session had been long and loud and Logan by now knew better then to come up with another battery driven prank gift.

His ears still hurt just thinking about that sound.

Marie was currently participating in a snowball fight and as the kids started to use their powers, Marie seemed to get way more hit then everyone else, but for once she did not seem to mind, so things were fine.

He was on his way to the kitchen, where Kurt had set up a kind of coffee shop. A few weeks ago it had become evident that he really had a great gift with hot breweries and so Kurt Christmas present for every one was making as much of the good stuff as people wanted.

So it wasn’t really surprising that the corridors became more animated as he came closer to the kitchen.

And it didn’t draw Logan’s suspicion at first when the professor wheeled his way. But of cause there was no such thing as a coincident. The professor - again - knew quite well what was going on in his mansion and while Logan readied himself for a scowling and some harsh words, the professor merely pointed out that Logan might gather some inspiration about possible aims if he took a look at the huge Canadian map in the room Marie shared with all the others.

Logan had never been inside Marie’s room. He did not even know that she had a map in there.

But in fact it was a good lead and he turned to take a look.

With all the kids busy with the snowball fight, there was no risk running into someone.

And once there, it was rather easy to spot which part of the room was Marie’s.

The map was a real give away, as well as the stuff littering the floor. At least the room looked normal.

And it did give him some ideas.

However, what it did not prepare him for, was Marie sitting in the kitchen beside Kurt, talking in a language he only was able to identify after a few moments. They were talking in German!

The next day flew by in a rush. It started with breakfast and overly excited chattering.

Logan wasn’t sure how he managed to not get nuts during that time, but the prom bought the entire mansion down in one big turmoil.

And after lunch things got even worse. What had started out as preparations quickly became an insuperable attack of hair spray, perfume, make up, bushy layers of fabric and immense loads of jewelry.

What was a rather easy ordeal for the boys - shower and putting on the ironed clothes - became a hour long procedure for the girls.

Logan never understood what they were doing with all that time, but what ever it was, they usually did look breathtaking afterward.

That was the only upsides of the entire ordeal and the reason why Logan made sure to be there, when the prom started.

He appreciated Jean’s blue satin dress, nodded at Ororo’s two-piece suit and then kept a lookout for Rogue.

He did not have to look long. Seeing that they were to depart around midnight, she obviously wanted to get the most out of this evening. Logan couldn’t blame her for that. And she did look amazing in that blue dress, long matching gloves and with her braided hair. She didn’t wear any jewels or make up and Logan appreciated it very much.

He still preferred to leave and smoke a cigarette on the balcony, when Marie stopped him in his way.

“Hey, Logan. Promise me to be here around ten, will you? Jubes talked me into making a fool of myself in front of the entire mansion. Once I am at it you might as well enjoy it too.”

Later that night, when he was driving the car away from the mansion, he wasn’t really surprised when she fell asleep only minutes after they started their road trip.

For some odd reason Marie had not only be part of a rather stupid choreography imitating the Rocky Horror Picture Show, but also the assistant in a small magical number and she even have had a solo guitar act.

Logan seriously could not remember when he had last seen her that hyper. Then again, his present might have helped a little.

After all she had been really determined to look out of the windows, watch the passing trees, when her head had been constantly drifting to her side. About half an hour later Logan finally pulled over, placed a blanked over her and turned the heater just a notch higher.

Well then, after the short trip in his camper this was the first time he was taking a trip with her.

This far it was good. This far she didn’t try to be a wise crack.

Next day Marie awoke to a rather strange mixture of feelings. There was to cozy feeling of a warm blanket, a slight headache and a stiffness in her shoulders, the smell of Logan’s cigarettes close by and her body demanding from her to make a move for the bathroom.

It took her a moment to realize why she was inside of a car instead of her bed, but after a brief look around realization hit her.

She really did it!

A four day road trip with Logan. She had just taken a few of her belongings, some clothes and a little money and of they were.

Looking out of a window slightly iced over this felt surreal and exiting at the same time.

Only then did she notice Logan’s absence and started scanning the surrounding, only to figure that they were not only currently standing at a petrol pump, but that Logan was already paying for gas and some food and made his way back to the car.

Marie hurried to step out of the car.

“Morning snow white. Slept long enough?”

With a somewhat forced smile she made her way past him to the rest rooms and bought herself a coke on the way back.

Logan eyes her with a smile. “Coffee not good for you?”

She hadn’t seen him carrying the Styrofoam cups earlier, but excepted the black and slightly watery stuff anyway.

“Now, Mr. Canadian. Might snow white dare to ask where her guardian is taking her or the destiny a surprise?”

Logan seemed to think that over for a moment.

“Well, kid. If I were taking this trip alone I would say I head straight for the goal. But seeing that I have you in tow, I guess we will try and find some girl compatible fun while we’re on the road.”

“I shudder to think what you understand by ‘girl compatible’. If you try to talk me into dolls that’s seriously going to lead to trouble.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll see in an hour. ”

---

Bracing himself over and over again, Logan pulled into the parking lot of a big shopping center about an hour later.

“Logan, what are we doing here?”

“First of all: breakfast. And afterward I promise to follow you like a lap dog while you shop....” There was a hint of humor in his eyes when he said ‘lap dog’, but he still felt like his feeling were all across his face.

Over a hamburger Marie finally asked what had him come up with a masochistic idea like that.

“You tell me. You women love shopping. And if you have to elbow the entire human population in the process or wait for hours. You still love it. And all that just for a cheap pullover. I really don’t get it.”

Marie laughed about that. “Don’t worry, I won’t be too hard on you. All I could really use right now is a book. Personally I hate shopping for clothes.”

“You do? But you always go with the others.”

“Yeah, and watch while they buy. First of all I can’t. It’s part of the service that the sales people help you into the clothes if you like to try something on. At least if they slipped into that ‘Can I help you?’ routine. And I really don’t want to scream ‘poisonous skin’ into everyone’s face. And second of all: cloth sizes are outdated. Jubes never finds a fitting shirt. Kitty never finds a fitting jeans. Usually I don’t find anything that really fits me, at least not without trimming it first. Buying clothes is depressing. And there is only a certain amount of shoes a girl needs.”

“So it’s book buying, hmm?”

“Yeah, but still thanks you were willing to go through that.”

---

Logan learned three valuable lessons during the next two hours.

First of all: that girl could shop in a book store as long as other people shopped in the entire mall.

Second of all: shortly after the holidays even a book store was overcrowded.

And thirdly: Marie had no problem buying four books, two CDs and three DVDs for a four day trip and spend about 150 dollars at once.

She had been intending to use her Christmas money on that, when Logan slammed a couple of bank notes on the counter and dragged Marie along behind him.

On the upside she was now sitting with a really wired book called ‘House of Leaves’ on her lap, read and occasionally she looked out of the window.

Still no wise cracks.

He could get used to that.

Which could explain why he was a little reluctant to pull over and rent a room.

Still, it was only 4 in the evening and he had something in mind.

Marie looked up a little puzzled and started to place a book mark between the open pages.

“You plan to stay here tonight?”

“Why not?” He looked at her.

“Doesn’t really seem like your usual place to stay. Your memories include a number of really shabby hotel rooms, but none of them ever came near three stars. Or four.” Marie was eyeing the entrance. “Do I want to know how you got all the money?”

She just nodded at the lame smile he gave her.

So they took a room, withstood the strange looks the receptionist gave them, hauled the stuff into their room and while Marie seemed ready to settle for the night, Logan dragged her on again.

“Come on, kid. You’re not taking holiday away from every one so you can be lonely. This is about blending into the crowd and being normal. Come on.”

So he drove her to a cinema, allowed her to pick the movie - which turned out to be I am Legend - and threw in some coke and pop corn.

Surprising enough the movie wasn’t that bad. Marie seemed to be fairly engrossed in it he didn’t dislike it as much as he would have thought he would.

Still Marie looked a little lost.

Yeah, no world shattering idea from him so far. Only shopping and a little cinema, but he had hoped she would like it. She didn’t seem to truly dislike it, but enthusiasm still wasn’t the word he would use to describe her.

The easiest way out, that even he could think of, no matter how uncommon it was for him: just talk to her.

“What you wanna do now, kid?”

“How about lunch?”

“Sure. Wishes?”

Logan knew right that second that he had said something really stupid. Her grin almost reached her ears. Understandable seeing that she allowed him to choose between Asian junk food and... Sushi!

“Oh come on big guy, it’s not like you don’t eat salmon or something like that.”

“But it’s raw! God knows how many bacteria could be in that.”

“Logan, food poisoning is nothing to your body and if you allow me to pick something out for you I promise you will even like it.”

Logan doubted that. He doubted it with a passion. But if it would make Marie happy, he would try to cope with raw fish.

---

Marie went into the store, taking a place at the water line running through the store. Her eyes glinted excitedly because of all the rice specialties.

And with grace and politeness she started talking Japanese to the guy behind the counter, ordering something. The only word Logan could make out was Wok. Only that the guy apologized with a careful smile that he was from Korea and if she would mind repeating that.

So this time Logan had a chance of understanding that she asked if it was possible to order an extra dish, something from the wok, mainly containing meat and a hot sauce. The guy smiled nodded and went with their orders for drinks to fetch something.

Marie already started eyeing the little ships passing her.

“Marie?”

“Hmm?” She had spotted something with salmon and grabbed the dish.

“Well... first of all I didn’t know you love Japanese food.”

“I don’t love it, I simply like it. And - nothing against the food at the mansion - we don’t have a huge range of options in Westchester. I pretty much crave everything that isn’t a beef steak, soup, noodles or seasonal veggies.”

Logan watched as she carefully set up the eating supplies: soy sauce, wasabi and chop sticks. And with a blissful expression she started to munch her salmon sushi.

About ten minutes later Logan’s dish was ready to and he eyed it skeptically.

“You sure this is good?”

“If you don’t like it, I will eat it and you can get a burger later.”

“No, no... I.... Marie?”

“Hmm?” She was eating another piece.

“This... I mean, I really don’t mean to offend you, or something like that, but... where did you learn all these languages? You were speaking German with Kurt, you were speaking Japanese with that guy... And I don’t know how many other languages you might have picked up. How do you do that?”

Marie gulped her food down. “You really don’t know?”

“I wouldn’t be asking if, would I?”

“It’s...” Marie laid her chopsticks aside. “It’s you and Erik.”

Logan knew that had been a really dumb question and a really bad time, but... “You can draw on my knowledge? You mean I am still in your head?”

Marie nodded and took another sushi roll from one of the little boats. But the way she started chewing on her bottom lip wasn’t lost on him.

---

The rest of the night had been spend in silence and Logan knew he had something to apologize for. He had wanted her to be normal, but as soon as he had gotten her away from all the freaks in the mansion, he had used the first evening to make her feel like an Alien again.

But he had always hoped that his presence inside her head would lessen over time. To know that he still wrecked havoc in there.

He knew he had messed up pretty badly when they were back in the hotel room and Marie left, with a towel and without another word.