"How've you been, Logan?"

Fuckin' fine, 'til you called. "Same old, same old."

"You back to cage-fighting again?"

"Yeah, so?" he bristled defensively. They'd never liked his chosen profession. And back when he'd been a part of the X-team, he'd acquiesced to their requests and dropped out of the circuit. But that was almost three years ago. He was his own man now, a free-agent. And if they could fuck off.

She sighed, but didn't press the matter further. Smart one, that Ororo. "I didn't call to argue, Logan."

"Why the hell did you call, 'Ro? Apocalypse make a come-back?"

"No."

"Magneto revamping the war?"

"No."

"Trask busted out of-"

"She's getting married Logan."

That put a quick end to his sarcastic tirade. He sucked in a sharp breath. "To who?"

"Gambit. He joined up not long after you took off."

He sunk down onto the cheap motel bed and ran a hand through his mussed hair. "Ain't she a little young to be gettin' hitched?"

'Ro snorted. "She's twenty-three, Logan. I think she's old enough to make her own decisions."

God, has it really been ten years? Ten years since he and the other X-men rescued her from Project Sentinel? He flopped back onto the bed and resisted the urge to groan. He suddenly felt so much older. "Why didn't she call?"

"Why didn't you?"

You know why. Tall, red-hair, big rack, goes by the name of Jean. "I've been busy." An obvious lie. Both he and Chuck had long since run out of leads in the search for his past. There was no written record of him in any branch of the government or military. And Stryker took what little knowledge he'd had to the grave.

"She wants you there, Logan. Even if she's too proud to admit it."

He didn't answer at first, the dread of seeing Jean Grey-Summers outweighing his desire to be there for one of the only true friends he'd ever known. 'Ro barreled on, unperturbed by his hesitation.

"She won't walk down that aisle without you by her side, Logan. She needs you. Don't let her down like this."

"Fuck, 'Ro."

Sensing his weakness, she swept in for the kill. A hit at his pride.

"Please, Logan. Don't let your love of Jean make you hu--"

"This has got shit to do with Jean," he snarled, pissed that she'd even bring up that name in their conversation.

"Really?" The disbelief was clear in her voice and it infuriated him.

"I haven't thought about Jean in almost a year. I'm with someone else now."

Fuck. Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck! Another lie. Why the hell had he said that? He could only hope that she wouldn't call his bluff, because if she did, he had no way of proving it.

"Good. Then you'll have no problem being here for the ceremony. It's in exactly a week."

He was trapped. Jean had been the reason he'd left in the first place and if he couldn't use that, then he had no excuse to stay away. And there was no way he was gonna come clean now. Not with his pride on the line. He took a steadying breath, making sure to cover the phone so that 'Ro couldn't hear it. He could do this. He'd show up for the ceremony, walk the kid down the aisle, sufficiently threaten this Gambit fellow as any proper surrogate brother would, and get the hell out out there as fast as he could. And if he was really, really lucky, he'd never even have to speak to Jean.

"Fine. I'll be there."

'Ro damn near squealed in delight and he cringed, holding the phone away from his ear. "Perfect. I can't wait to tell Jubilee. She'll be ecstatic."

She better be, for all the trouble this was causing him. 'Ro told him he'd need to show at least a day early for the wedding rehearsal and he grudgingly agreed.

"Fantastic. We'll see you in a few days, Logan. And don't forget to bring your new girlfriend! We'll all be looking forward to meeting her."

"Wait,'Ro, I--"

But it was too late. She'd already hung up.

He stared at the phone, a look of horror apparent on his face.

Shit