As soon as they left the professional kitchen, Jubilee hauled off and punched her husband in the shoulder.

“What is it, baby?”

“You’ve been sittin’ on the greatest secret ever and you didn’t tell me.”

“Sorry, mon amour. There’s a reason, darlin’. It was a kind of need ta know basis and ya didn’t need to know honey, at the tahm.”

“Don’t you sweet talk me you rake! What else are you hidin’ from me?” Jubilee was getting mad so Remy shut her up with her favorite pacifier, his lips.


D’Ancanto’s Outdoor Dining Room
Meridian, MS.
6:30 P.M.

Indeed, Logan wore the smug look on his face as he made dinner on the grill. Marie came out after letting her mother know dinner was ready. Priscilla came out a few minutes later, looking a bit upset, but she quickly hid it.

“Daddy’s not coming, so there’ll be more for us.”

Marie sat down opposite her mother.

“It don’t surprise meh. His loss.”

“We’ll be leavin’ after breakfast tomorrow,” Logan blurted out. “Marie wants to go to see her grandmother before we leave town.”

“Well, she’s not buried in the cemetery.”

“Where is she buried, mama?”

“She was cremated, baby, but then her ashes were placed in the backyard. There’s a mausoleum her backyard. Grandpa and all of her family is theyah. She had them moved theyah when grandpa built Templestaff.”

“Then we’ll go to the house after breakfast.”

“Marie, baby, theyah’s one moah thing… She left you the entiah estate.”

Logan watched as Marie’s eyes went wide as saucers as she looked at her mother. Prissy didn’t look at Marie, instead pushing the baked beans around her plate.

“But daddy shouldah got it.”

“Not according to her will. She changed it uh few days befoah she passed. It’s awl legal. If yer daddy contests it, he gets nothin’ but one dollah. Didn’t tell uh soul except for her staff. They’ve all stayed on to take care of the place for ya.”

“Oh mah gawd. Ah live in New York now mama, how am ah gonna take care of Templestaff?”

“Ah suppose the staff can keep it up for ya. She made arrangements to keep them employed for decades.”

“Chuck could help ya. He knows a thing or two about estates,” Logan added. Marie half smiled at him as she gripped his hand.

For the rest of the evening Logan, Marie, and Priscilla spent talking out in the backyard about the wedding and the details that they’d told Ororo and Jubilee that they wanted. Owen didn’t show or make a peep…


Guest Room
D’Ancanto’s House
Meridian, MS.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
12:00 A.M.

Logan had just about given up hope on Marie coming down to be with him. Then he heard footsteps on the wood floor in the hall coming towards the door. Then the door quietly opened and closed. He stayed horizontal on his right side in the dark.

“It’s meh, sugah. You ready for your dessert?”

He couldn’t help the groan that escaped his lips… He knew her body was off limits because of that time of the month and the scents she gave off her body were a little confusing. He didn’t smell the blood as strongly as he’d thought he would and she smelled of lovelier things like magnolia, vanilla, and gardenias. Luckily, she had replaced her tampon so that he wouldn’t smell blood on her so strong. She climbed into bed with him and got comfortable. Then he felt her hand inside his sweatpants moving closer to his little Wolverine. Logan tried to speak but she stopped him with her index finger, which meant that her hand had left the good place it was in under the soft material.

“Shhh baby, just try to keep quiet,” she murmured.

Logan watched as Marie moved down his body and pulled back the covers with her. Then she gripped the elastic band and pulled down his sweats to mid-thigh as he lifted up. He was expecting her to give him another blow job like she had before dinner but he didn’t know she had other plans… He didn’t know where it came from, but suddenly he felt something warm and very soft around his shaft, not knowing that Marie had brought her black silk opera gloves with her in the pockets of her shorts. Then he smelled some kind of oil with some kind of mint that began to warm. His dick began to feel hot and with her gloved hands moving in an up and down, twisting motion…

“Oh god Marie, baby…” Logan moaned.

Then she leaned forward over him on one hand while the other kept moving on his flesh.

“Ah want you so bad, sugah. Ah can’t wait to feel your tongue on meh when ah’m ovah mah tahm of the month. Ah get so wet thinkin’ about you. Ah haven’t been able to stop thinkin’ about your dick since before dinner,” she sexily whispered in his ear.

He tried to reach for her but she slapped his hands away.

“Ah, ah, ah, ah’m in charge, sugah. Ah’m gonna make you come for meh. Do ya like that? Yeah, you’re gonna come all over meh tonight. Does it turn you on that mah parents are asleep upstairs? Do you like it when ah do this?” Marie was being a naughty girl and the Wolverine was waking up inside him.

“Ahhh fuck Marie,” he couldn’t help but moan.

He picked up the pillow next to him and covered his face so that he could let his emotions out so her parents wouldn’t hear. Within a few more minutes, she had him close to the edge of no return. Then she stopped and Logan actually whimpered.

“Don’t stop, baby, why’d you stop?”

“Get up,” she uttered quietly.


It didn’t take him long to do what she asked. He turned on the lamp on the nightstand. She lowered her shorts with her oil slicked gloves to show him that she was wearing a black triple strap silk thong. The triple straps on her hips oddly reminded him of his claws. Then she stepped out of the shorts before she took up Logan’s place on the bed. It was still warm. Marie went down on her belly leaving her assets exposed to his view. She placed his pillow under her chest and grabbed the other to hug.

“Go on, get on top,” she said.

Logan wasn’t sure what she was up to but he liked where it was going so far. He climbed up and placed his frame over hers.

“Rub that big bone anywhere you like, sugah…” Marie turned on the charm, but didn’t go so far as batting her eyes.

Now because his hardened flesh was still slick with the pepperminted oil to make him tingle, it made it easier for him to glide against her naked rear. Only a small strip of fabric to bar him from being inside her… But he didn’t dare go there. Logan came down over her, his forearms supporting his chest as his loins met her rear. His warm, slick flesh met the small strip of material between her cheeks before he gave her an upward thrust to let her know he liked this idea… Then he brought his full weight down on her and he held her tight as he let his hips piston his flesh between her cheeks. He brushed his mouth over the back of her neck before he licked the pulsing point where the blood went rushing through to her brain. God he wanted to enter her but he couldn’t… Logan closed his eyes and imagined that he was inside her; his cock was trapped between his body and her buttocks. So soft and smooth; just like being home, and enveloped by her walls. Thrust after thrust crescendoed until they both were panting and his fists were supporting his weight up over Marie like in the elephant position in a copy of the Kama Sutra Jubilee let Marie borrow once.


Marie’s breasts were sore from that time of the month but she managed to capture his hands with her own when he tried to reach to fondle them. She wove her fingers with his in a symbol of togetherness. Then when she was almost about to sail over the cliff past the point of no return, Marie suddenly felt Logan’s teeth upon the flesh of her neck where it met her shoulder. She felt a terrible yet pleasurable pain there. The Wolverine claimed her as his once more. He began to lick on the wound as an animal would to heal it. She moaned into the pillow below her as she came to the end of her ride. Oh she wanted to cry out his name, but she didn’t want her father suddenly bursting in with a shotgun. Logan backed up from her on his knees and stroked his flesh until he came all over Marie’s ample breasts. He bit on his fist to cover his noise.

“Oh… Fuck… Marie, you’re bleeding,” Logan whispered.

“It’s okay. Gimme a sec,” Marie replied low enough for him to hear.

She had already started tapping into Logan’s healing from her arsenal of mutations. Logan fell over to the middle of the bed, exhausted. Of course, he’d be ready in a second if she asked, but he looked satiated, and happy. Marie got up and headed for the guest bathroom to clean up. She came back a few minutes later, with her t-shirt and shorts back on, and ready to lay down with her man for a few hours.

“All healed, sugah.”

“I want you to pack up your stuff before breakfast so we can leave right after breakfast. We could go see your grandmother and then hit the road.”

“Is your Wolvie-Sense tellin’ you something?”

“Wolvie-Sense?” He arched his eyebrow in curiosity and amusement.

“Yeah, ah couldn’t very well call it Spidey-Sense, now could ah, sugah?”

“Point. Woulda expected somethin’ like Wolvie-Sense to come from Yellow, more than I would you,” he smiled.

“You don’t like it?” She almost pouted.

“Nah, it’s good. Just don’t use it when we’re on a mission, ‘kay?”

“Got it,” Marie snuggled in to his chest with her hair spread across his left shoulder.

“Now, get some sleep before you’ve gotta sneak back upstairs.”


Guest Room
D’Ancanto’s House
Meridian, MS.
6:00 A.M.

Priscilla got up early to make sure the house was in regulation according to Owen’s rules. If he got up and Marie wasn’t in her bed, properly asleep… There would be a fight that would start WWIII. Now, Marie knew the rules under Owen’s rule of the house as head of the household and Priscilla wanted to keep the peace in the house just a little longer. At least until Marie and her man left… She quietly went to Marie’s room and took a peek in the door. In the morning light Prissy could see that her bed hadn’t been slept in. She sighed and remembered the time before the disaster with that boy, when Marie snuck out to go out with her friends to a midnight showing of a Hugh Jackman movie after her father had told her no. Priscilla had caught her coming in the window and she’d grounded her for a month after she’d asked her how the movie was. Of course she’d never told Owen who always slept like a lead brick at the bottom of the ocean, notably so after he’d hit the bottle before bed. It had gotten worse after his mother’s will had been read.

Since Marie was missing, there was really only one other location where she could be. Down the stairs quietly like she’d taught Marie and then she found herself at the door to the guest room. She very quietly opened the door and could see Marie wrapped around Logan. She was in a t-shirt so she assumed she had her shorts on and from the looks of it; Logan was naked from the waist up. She couldn’t see beyond because he was covered up. Then Priscilla noticed that he was looking straight at her.

“Morning, Logan,” She whispered.

“Morning ma’am,” he whispered back with a weak smile.

“Don’t worry, ah’m not upset. Ah knew she would end up down here.”

“We didn’t do anything… We just slept,” Logan lied.

“You’d best send her upstairs. Her father will be up soon and he’s gonna check in on Marie. There will be World War three if she’s not in that bed upstairs.”

“I’ll get her up. Thanks for the warnin’.”

“Ah’m gonna go put the coffee on and get breakfast started,” Priscilla smiled before she gently closed the door and headed for the kitchen.


Logan had been wide awake since about five in the morning. He silently watched Marie sleeping on his chest, her hair displayed all over his shoulder and face resting on his left pectoral muscle. Her left arm wrapped around him and hugging him tightly as if she were having a bad dream, but she had a smile on her face so he didn’t worry too much. What he did worry about was that he still needed to have a man to man conversation with her father before they left and he wasn’t sure he’d make it through it without gutting the man from stem to stern. So instead he decided to concentrate on the moment and get Marie up as her mother requested. Logan gently woke Marie up and sent her back upstairs.


The Den-Owen’s Sanctuary
D’Ancanto’s House
Meridian, MS.
8:00 A.M.

Time had come to face the music with Marie’s father. It was pretty obvious that he wasn’t going to give his blessing for Marie and him to get hitched. There was a slight possibility they might get one from her mother, but things were up in the air. He knocked on the closed sliding pocket door.

“Come in, have a seat Logan,” he heard Owen call out. He must have known that he was coming for a chat.

Logan crossed from the doorway to the nearest chair. He turned it around backwards and sat down as carefully as possible so that his metal laced frame didn’t splinter the wood.

‘Here goes nothin’,’ He thought to himself.

“What is it ya wish to see meh ‘bout?”

“I came to talk with you about Marie and I.”

“Ah see.”

“Sir, you’ve never known no-one like me, up there in your high society. You might tell me you I’m no good for Marie, but you need to understand just who I am. I may be a real bad boy to you, but dammit, I’m a real good man for your daughter.”

“Ah beg to differ. Ah’ve known types like you. Always are in some kind of trouble and people tend to end up dead around you, don’t they? Ah was in the service, ah knew what went on during Vietnam.”

Logan wanted to tell him that, ‘no that wasn’t him’, but he couldn’t. Her father was right. People did tend to end up dead around him… Some of whom he was still trying to learn about. Then he remembered he needed to watch the rest of the video of his past… He put that on his mental to-do list when he got back to the school.

“I may drink too much and play with Marie too loud, hang out with a rough and rowdy crowd, but that don’t mean I don’t respect Marie. I give her a lot of credit for takin’ all of my shit along with lotsa other stuff. What I don’t respect is dear old Uncle Sam. Yes sir, yes ma’am, that’s why I’m Canadian. So, call me a real bad boy, but I’m a real good man deep down.”

“Ah won’t stand for an un-American to marry Marie.”

“And sure, I might have a reckless streak at least a country mile wide, but Marie knows that and when she runs with me she knows it’s gonna be a wild ride.”

“Mah daughter should be with someone who isn’t a mutant.”

“When it comes to loving her, I’ve got velvet hands. Every day I try to show her how a real bad boy can be a real good man. I’m the best at what I do and what I do isn’t very nice. Most people think I’m an animal, a monster, a freak, and more. Maybe I am all that, but Marie shows me that I have some humanity left. The more I am with her it helps keep me sane.”

“Ah don’t need ta hear about your sex life. You’re livin’ in sin with mah offspring.”

It was rapidly turning into a typical Father of the Bride-Future Son in Law conversation where no one was really listening to the other. Logan was glad that they hadn’t descended so far that it turned into a shouting match between them. Then Marie wouldn’t be happy and well… His plans to get any kind of parental blessing would have gone down in flames.

“Look, I take all the good times I can get and Marie helps me feel like I’m too young for growing up just yet. Ain’t much I can promise you, ‘cept to do the best I can. I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let someone take her from me. You may still think that I’m a real bad boy, but dammit, I’m a real good man too… And I’m gonna spend the rest of my life proving it to Marie.”

“How about ah give you uh hundred thousand dollahs ta walk away. Just leave Marie heah and go back to whatever cave or cage you came from…,” Owen said as he walked up to Logan with a signed check.

Finally, Logan had had enough… He literally snapped. He couldn’t let this man get away with this stupid idea in his head. He just knew that when he said, cage, that he meant it as a cutting barb. As he went to take the check from Owen, he balled up his fist. When his fingers touched the check, Owen never saw the fist coming toward him. *Pow!* A right cross punch and Marie’s father hit the floor. Out like a light…

“I may be a real bad boy,” Logan said as he looked at the knocked out man on the floor, “Oh but Bub, I’m a real good man. Yes, I am.”

Then Logan pocketed the check. “Thanks for the wedding gift donation,” he said before he walked out of Owen’s Sanctuary with a smug look on his face.


D’Ancanto’s Outdoor Dining Room
Meridian, MS.
8:45 A.M.

Marie had been quietly conversing with her mom and eating breakfast when she saw the look on Logan’s face. His nostrils were flared and his stance told her something wasn’t right. Before she could say a word…

“Marie, we’re leavin’, now.”

“What’s wrong?”

“You have everything packed like I asked last night before I sent you to your room?”

“Well yeah, but…”

“Then, let’s go.”

“Ah was just finishing mah breakfast and you haven’t touched yours yet.”

“I’ll eat later. Come on, you wanted to see your grandmother and we’ve gotta head back to New York.”

Marie didn’t understand what was happening but she trusted him. So, she put her fork down and put her cloth napkin on the table.

“Well mama, seems that we’re leavin.”

“Looks lahk.”

“Ah’m sorry about your daddy, he’s not gonna change. But, for what it’s worth, ah give mah blessing for your weddin’.”

“Oh mama, thank you,” Marie said as tears formed in her eyes.


Logan was glad that at least one parent warmed up to them. Although after what he’d just done to Owen… Maybe it was good they were leaving now. He watched as his girl hugged his future Mother-in-Law. He even gave her a thank you and a quick hug of his own. He grabbed their bags off a chair in the parlor as he headed for the front door. A few minutes later after Marie hugged her mother at the front door; she joined him at the Suburban. She waved and climbed in.


Templestaff
Meridian, MS.
9:00 A.M.

“Ah’ll just be a few minutes if you wanna wait here. The smells maht be too strong where ah’m goin’ to.”

“You don’t want me along? You gonna be alright?”

“Yeah, ah think so,” Logan heard doubt in her voice.

“I’m comin’ too.”

“Listen, ah get the feelin’ somethin’ happened back there.”

“It’s nothin’,” he lied, not wanting to tell her he socked her dad.

He wondered if he’d call the authorities and have him arrested for assault. Then he decided he’d better cash the check quickly before her father called the bank and stopped payment. He hoped Marie didn’t want to stay long…

“Ah want the details later, mister. Ah mean it… Come on if you wanna be introduced to Templestaff.”


Logan was almost sorry he went with her. The backyard wasn’t normal… The backyard was a cemetery. She was right too, he smelled death, decaying flesh, and the calcium composition of the bones before he fully exited through the double doors to the courtyard that led to the cemetery. He stayed up on the courtyard area and let Marie go alone for some privacy. He let her know that he wanted her to take as much time as she needed now that they didn’t have to be concerned with going back to her parents’ home. Logan went back inside the foyer when he couldn’t take the scents coming from the backyard. He wandered through the house and looked at some paintings up on the wall. Then something odd happened in front of one of the paintings. He had a sudden flashback of him and a much younger version of the woman in the painting. They were walking and talking after midnight in a garden while a party raged on into the wee hours of the morning. Lots of hoop skirts and men dressed to the nines, some even in gray uniforms. There was no way that Logan could remember that the woman in the picture happened to be Marie’s great grandmother. He also couldn't possibly remember that he was a Yankee spy dressed like a southerner. He even faked the accent. Then he had a flash of Victor with another woman, he dressed much like himself, in a gray uniform.

Then a servant-woman came into the room and nearly startled a fog-minded Logan. He growled at her… She didn’t pay him any mind and asked if he wanted some refreshments. She didn’t tell him that Marie had called on her cell phone while she was outside and suggested that cook make him some breakfast. The Wolverine heard, ‘food,’ and he found himself following the woman into the kitchen.


About an hour later, that’s where Marie found him… Just finishing off his third plate of biscuits and gravy, eggs, bacon, and sausage. Orange juice, coffee, and milk topped off the feast.

“Looks lahk you’ve been havin’ fun.”

“Ah made him all your grandmama’s breakfast favo-rahts, ‘cept the pancakes.”

“Well, when the ‘bottomless’ stomach is done we’ve gotta hit the road,” Marie teased.

“That don’t matter none, man’s gottah healthy appetaht. Whatchu gonna do ‘bout the house, Miss Marie?”

“Nothin’ for now. Ah’m sure you’ll look aftah the place while we’re away.”

“Shore nuff. Me’n Willie are here all the time. Then Billy and Marvin are the part tahmers.”

“We live in New York at a school so, we won’t be heah very often.”

“That’s okay, Miss Marie. We’ll keep up the place ‘cause we love it heah.”

“Done,” Logan stood up and pronounced him finished with breakfast. “You ready to go?”

“Yeah, I said what ah wanted to say. We should get goin’.”

“Ah packed a lunch for yawl, while the Mr. was eatin’.”

“Aww, thanks Mrs. Brown.”

“Thanks ma’am.”


The Den-Owen’s Sanctuary
D’Ancanto’s House
Meridian, MS.
9:00 A.M.

Priscilla finished her breakfast and took her sweet time. Somehow, she knew something had happened to her husband or Logan and Marie wouldn’t have left in such a hurry. She assumed Logan probably socked Owen. Prissy would have too if she had the strength to. He had made a total ass out of himself while the couple had been guests. She felt somewhat bittersweet but happy that she’d made Marie happy with her blessing. Now, to deal with Owen… She went down the hall to his sanctuary and opened his door to find him passed out on the floor. Her suspicions were confirmed… Prissy sat him up and slapped his face a bit to wake him up.

“What have ya done now?”

“He hit meh. He hit meh. Ah wanna press charges against that mutie bastard. He hit meh.”

“And just what did yawl say to each othah that made him hit ya?”

“Ah offered him a deal to walk away from our offspring.”

“Exactly what ah thought… Owen, ya brought it on yourself. A man lahk that won’t give up Marie. She is his rock as ah was once yours, but aftah your mama died you abandoned meh. Ah’ve had it Owen. You’ve gotta change or you’re gonna lose meh too. You hear meh? Ah won’t take this domineerin’ crap from you much longer.”

“And just what you gonna do if ah don’t?”

“Ah’ll leave Owen… And just to let you know, ah gave them mah blessin’. From meh, just meh. Ah couldn’t give it from both her parents, but ah made her happy bah givin’ her mahn.”

“Ya think ah care?” Owen stood up and reached his desk. “Ah’ve gotta call the bank and get a stop payment on that check.”

“What check?”

“Ah gave that mutie monster a check for uh hundred thousand dollahs… To uh disappear.”

“You what? Oh Mah Gawd! No wondah he socked you.”

“He had to go. Prissy, he had to go.”

“No, you ain’t gonna cancel that check. No, what you’re gonna do is get in that kitchen and wash mah dishes and their breakfast dishes before ah call the cops on you.”

“For what? Ah didn’t do a damn thing. They couldn’t hold meh.”

“Wanna bet? Ah’ll go down and testifah that you are abusin’ meh. Maybe not physically, but emotionally and verbally. Ah got meh a safety deposit box somewhere with stuff ah’ve been collectin’ on you for years. Don’t try meh.”

“You ain’t got nothin’.”

“Oh ah do, and you bettah not dare raise a hand to meh or you will be in deep caca. Now, march.”


Red’s Diner
Knoxville, TN.
4:30 P.M.

Logan drove most of the little over 6 and a half hour drive to Knoxville, until Marie couldn’t stand sitting in the passenger seat anymore. She drove a couple hours while he was supposed to have rested, but he didn’t. He couldn’t stop looking at her. She looked like a girl on a mission; she looked determined. Marie looked over at him and read the look on his face.

“Ah’m fahn… Ah don’t know, just don’t piss meh off. Ah think ah’m hormonal today.”

“Hey, you got it,” Logan said as he held his hands up in mock defense. “Look, there’s a diner comin’ up. We should stop and get somethin’ for dinner.”

“Fine,” she spoke with a sigh.

‘Oh shit, there’s that word we hate a second time,’ the Wolverine spoke up in Logan’s mind. ‘Means that our girl’s upset. Fix it now…’

‘But how?’ Logan answered back in thought.

‘Feed her first… If that don’t work, feed her ice cream in massive amounts or buy her chocolate… Or both. After that, you’re on your own, Bub.’

“Nuh uh, Marie. That don’t fly with me. What’s up?” Logan called her on her mood.

“Ah’m just not feelin’ raht. Ah’ve got this bad feelin’ and it’s makin’ mah stomach feel lahk it’s in knots,” she said as she parked the SUV in the lot slot next to the diner.

‘No, she’s not pregnant…’ the Wolverine told Logan after he got a whiff of her scent.

“Well, let’s go eat and see if it goes away, ‘kay.”

“Yeah,” she still seemed a bit sad to Logan as if there were tears threatening to fall.

They went into the small restaurant and Logan ordered for Marie because she just wasn’t up to make the decision herself. After a meal and desert that involved ice cream and chocolate and lots of it, Logan got them back on the road while Marie curled up in her seat. He didn’t like the trend she was headed in but, he figured after a nap she might be in a better mood.


Marie couldn’t tell Logan that she knew exactly why she was upset. Her father… His attitude and the way they left. It was nagging at her… When she napped, she had day-mares of her father locking her up and selling her off to the government for enough money to buy more models of ships. She had one of him chasing her with a gun, as if to wipe her off the face of the earth. Somewhere, deep down, she knew that Logan hit her father. It just didn’t make sense for him to leave without eating a fork full of anything for breakfast; especially since she knew how voracious Logan’s appetite could be in the morning… Marie hoped that as they drove away from the south that these terrors would leave her be.


The Hangar
Level 4 Underground
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
Friday, June 11, 2010
2:00 A.M.

The Professor walked off the Blackbird following Hank, Remy, Kitty, Bobby, and Pete as they carried a comatose Victor Creed to the holding cells on that level; those reserved for extremely dangerous mutants. They had gone on a rescue mission to Australia in the middle of the night to not only free incarcerated mutants but to recover Victor Creed. Through objections of the X-Men, Charles thought it best to not include Wolverine and Rogue. Actually including them was too much of a liability when he explained it to the team. Once they had more information the senior team agreed with the Professor. Logan would have turned himself into a renegade and put the team at risk. Rogue and or Logan might be captured and that wouldn’t be good at all if Charles’ inside info was correct from Maverick about what they had done to Victor Creed at the secret lab. So with a unanimous decision to not tell Wolverine or Rogue what was up, they went on a rescue and recovery mission. Maverick met them again in Japan before they made the final landing in Australia. With the help of an ancient telepath, comatose since the nuclear bomb that destroyed Hiroshima, Charles mind-linked with him. The X-Men team discovered that Victor Creed’s psychosis was rooted in his time as a CIA operative. On a mission, he slaughtered a target, his wife, and a little boy. The look in the boy's eyes has followed Victor ever since. Afterward, when the Professor had the information he needed to get through to Victor they headed for Australia.

The losses of life on the team were minimized by excellent teamwork that the Wolverine had taught most of the newly formed senior team after Alcatraz. They managed to rescue a dozen mutants but they recovered Victor as well. Now, they just had to keep him a secret from Logan and Marie until Charles could make sure he had a stronger foothold in Victor’s mind.


The Garage
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
10:00 A.M.

A couple days later, the couple returned to the school with Logan behind the wheel as Marie napped in the passenger seat. He killed the engine after parking the Suburban next to Ororo’s car. He gently unbuckled her belt before he quietly slipped out of the driver’s seat. Then he went around to her side and scooped her up in his arms. Logan carried Marie into the mansion and she nuzzled her nose into his neck as he stepped into the elevator. He softly opened his door and carried her to his bed. After gently setting her down on her side of his bed he closed the door and pulled off his boots before he sat down on his side of the bed. He moved down and got comfortable and Marie just naturally snuggled into his side as she slept. Logan said a silent prayer that the central air conditioning was working. Fortunately, if it broke Iceman Bobby Drake was on hand to keep the swamp coolers supplied with ice. And the school wouldn’t have to worry about the Wolverine’s beer getting warm either. Everyone knew that when it did get warm, Logan was very grumpy.


When Marie woke up, she felt a moving pillow. Then when her eyes focused she saw Logan’s bare feet and jeans. She sighed and then began to draw silly patterns on his abs under his white tank undershirt. The silly patterns were a symbol of how her mind was acting; her mind was all over the place. However, she’d had a good nap and she was glad that the day-mares of her father had gone away. She debated getting up or staying in bed with Logan until lunch, but her stomach loudly objected. And as if a miracle of timing wonder happened, Logan’s stomach growled as well. Time to get food…

Small Kitchen
First Floor
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
10:15 A.M.

Marie was in her robe and in the kitchen making coffee when she suddenly felt this foreboding wave of sadness come over her. She felt something was wrong… Horribly wrong, but she couldn’t tell why. And then it just as abruptly simply went away. She hoped that she wasn’t going to have another attack of those day-mares she’d had of her father on the long ride home. Maybe she was just having a mood swing? Marie shrugged it off as she made a couple egg sandwiches and then poured the coffee into a couple mugs when she finished. Everything went onto a small tray and she headed back up to Logan, who by now, was probably naked and wanting some morning delights from his Marie, but that wasn’t going to happen because she was still on her period…


Recreation Room
First Floor
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
4:00 P.M.

Marie was standing by the large bay window in the rec room. The feeling that something was wrong, deeply wrong was back again. This time she couldn’t help but try to search her mind for any clues, but all the boxed up company in her head couldn’t help. This feeling had made her feel cold all day, bone deep cold, like she’d been left behind in Canada and Logan had left her because he was mad she made him lose a good beer he’d paid for, and had gotten him kicked out of that bar. And it wasn’t quite summer yet! So, after she’d gotten up, she’d wrapped herself up in one of Logan’s red and black patterned, trademark flannel shirts before he woke up. Marie hoped his scent might calm her down or at the very least try to make her feel warm and fuzzy inside. Ororo had taken the time to make her some warm, calming tea, but it didn’t touch the deep cold. Later when Logan found her, he made a joke of her looking like a mini-me of him. She had a white t-shirt on under the flannel and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Her inner Wolverine and Logan approved of her wearing his scent.

He begged off of her company to go work out in the garage. He wanted to tune up the motorbikes for a ride later if she was up to it. Marie told him it sounded nice and that she’d see him later… That was six hours ago and she still felt deeply cold. Now near the window, she was contemplating having Hank do some blood work to make sure she wasn’t becoming anemic.


Jubilee was relaxing, watching one of her reality shows when a ticker tape bar ran across the bottom of the screen. She usually read them aloud, but this time she couldn’t.

‘News Alert: Two people found dead in Meridian, Mississippi. Possible KKK connection… News at five o’clock, next,’ she read.

She couldn’t deliver the possibly horrifyingly bad news to her best friend by blabbing it casually. She muted the television and went to Marie’s right side. She wrapped her arms around her shoulders as best she could, being so pregnant and all, and laid her head on her shoulder.

“What’s wrong, Chica?”

“Ah cain’t help but feel lahk somethin’s wrong.”

“Whatever it is, it’s gonna be okay. I know so,” she squeezed Marie a little tighter.

“Thanks, sugah.”

“Anytime.”


Suddenly, the sound was up on the television. Bobby and Kurt came into the room while Jubilee wasn’t looking. They took over the television to play video games. As Kurt was setting the game box, the news station broke in.

“This is the weekend five o’clock news. Good evening. Tonight, we have breaking news from Meridian, Mississippi. Our affiliate in Meridian has sent us a tragic and horrible story. We go live now to the scene and to Jordan Lynch.”

“Yes, Tony, such a tragic story here tonight. Two dead bodies were found out on the lawn of this home here in Meridian, Mississippi, earlier this morning. The authorities haven’t officially identified the bodies yet but, we do know that the victims were male and female.”


Marie abruptly tore away from Jubilee and went to look at the television. She saw her childhood home. She recognized her mother’s prize geraniums on the porch.

“The authorities have also contacted the FBI because it is classified as a hate crime and murder because, ‘Mutie Lovers,’ was spray painted in white on the lawn in big letters over the heads of the two victims. The KKK has quickly stepped forward as well, claiming this horrific crime as one of theirs. I don’t think there has been such a terrible crime such as this since about the end of the civil rights movement. I’m sure the FBI will want to prosecute this hate crime as soon as possible. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the kin of these two victims.”

“OH MAH GAWD,” Marie screamed before her world went dark.

“Dammit guys!” Jubilee yelled as she watched her best friend faint, but she couldn’t stop her from falling due to her pregnancy. “Somebody go get Wolvie,” she yelled, “And get me a pillow, A.S.A.P.!”

Kurt bamfed a pillow to her from another couch to Jubilee, who was trying to get down on her knees so that she could sit comfortably next to Marie. Students in the room playing games scattered on a hunt for Mr. Logan. Bobby went to the kitchen for some water while Jubilee started trying to wake her.


The Garage
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
5:15 P.M.

Logan was in the garage changing the spark plugs on the most frequently used school vehicles since he’d finished the motorcycles an hour ago. He was finishing up changing the ones on Ororo’s minivan, when a kid suddenly ran up to the door of the garage. He stood and looked at the poor kid; he was so scared, out of breath, and looking a bit green. Okay, green was his skin color, but that was beside the point. Logan had him in his beginning martial arts class. His name code name was Chameleon, but he went by Leon. The boy could change his skin to match any environment. He was perfect at blending in.

“Whoa, take it easy kid. Slow, deep breaths. That’s it.”

“Mr. Lo… Lo… Logan. Miss Marie’s in trouble.”

Fear struck his heart. Had Victor come back from Australia? Were they under attack?

“What? Where is she?”

“In the… The rec room,” the kid answered; then he was off and running to that destination.

When he arrived there was a group of students hovering around Marie on the floor. Jubilee was still trying to wake her.

“Somebody wanna explain why she’s on the floor?” He roared.

“I’ll tell ya on the way to the infirmary,” Jubilee spoke up.

Logan scooped up a limp Marie into his arms and within a few moments they were on their way to the elevator.

“Okay, I’m waitin’.”

“Hold your claws, we’re almost there. I don’t wanna have to repeat myself again for Hank.”

He didn’t reply to her as he carried Marie through the automatic metal doors to the infirmary. He gently set her down on a gurney.

“Hank, we need you,” Jubilee called out into the clearly empty room.


Hank came running in behind them. Bobby had gone to get him from a meeting with the Professor. He filled him in on what he had seen happen in the rec room, everything…

“Jubilee, in that drawer on the cart behind you my dear, please hand me the telemetry box. Logan, I need you to wait outside,” he ordered as he went checking Marie for neck and head injuries.

“I ain’t movin’.”

The telemetry box in his hand, he began undoing Marie’s blouse to place the pads to connect the wires to. He quickly got her connected up to a heart monitor to check her heart, respirations, and pulse. Then he went about making her comfortable.

“What happened, Jubilation?” Hank asked, obviously trying to get a clue as to why Marie was practically a vegetable.

“She just got some terrible news from the television in the rec room. Then she screamed and then passed out. I tried to stop her, but of course I couldn’t get any help before she fell.”


Logan smelt that Jubilee wasn’t telling the whole truth… And it began to bother him.

“I’ve done all I can for now. She is comfortable and on several monitors. I will go call Charles and see if he can reach her telepathically. From what Jubilation has shared, I believe she’s possibly had a psychotic break as part of a nervous breakdown.”

“Will she pull out of it?”

“Right now, I can’t say. I must talk with Charles. I suppose it depends on the severity of the news she heard. Don’t worry, Logan. She is under my care now and I will do my very best to get her back to you as soon as possible.”

“Thanks, Doc.”


When Jubilee sensed that Hank didn’t need more help; she went up to Logan and started pulling on his arm.

“Come on Wolvie, we need to talk.”

She felt better when he followed her out into the hall. His hands were on his hips as he leaned his back against the wall and he didn’t look happy to say the least.

“I owe you an explanation, don’t I?” Jubilee spoke lowly.

“Well?”

“There’s no easy way to say this Wolvie, so I’m gonna say it. Marie just found out that her parents have been murdered. Yeah, uh huh, by a fricken news at five report. Not only that, they’re calling it a hate crime because someone spray painted, ‘Mutie Lovers,’ on the lawn above their heads.”


Logan felt a pain so deep that he thought his heart went right through his adamantium laced bones and fell on the floor. His palms went to his eyes and he crumbled down the wall to where his heavy frame collapsed the rest of the way to the floor. He felt so heartbroken and so much pain for Marie. She had just gotten her mother’s blessing to marry a few days ago. He could see how she would be devastated. He knew she was more torn up over losing her mother than her father, but it was still a tragic loss of both parents at once. He hoped Hank and Charles could bring her back. The animal inside had felt the bone searing pain the man was feeling. His mate was in pain and now comatose. Then the anger began to rise and Logan let the Wolverine come out. The Wolverine stood and let both sets of claws release. He was going to make those bastards pay for ruining his girl’s life.

“Whoa, Wolvie, where do you think you’re goin’?”

“I’ve gotta do somethin’… Tell Marie I love her and I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he growled.

“Oh no mister! You are stayin’ here. She needs you when she wakes up. Don’t argue with a pregnant woman,” Jubilee yelled as if it would get through his adamantium laced ears.

Then Logan heard Charles calling him through the head phone, and he growled as he stepped into the elevator to go up to his room.

‘Relax Logan, she’s alright. Please stop projecting so that I don’t have a migraine,’ he felt Charles send through to his mind.

‘What do I do?’ Logan was still panicked and wanting to fix his girl. ‘I can’t just sit here and let those bastards get away with this, Chuck.’

‘Marie’s not dead; she’s just in a deep coma-like state I helped induce to help her mind heal.’

‘What if she isn’t alright after she comes out? She’s still gonna be crushed.’

‘I have informed her of your concern and she’ll be fine in a few days. I will help her first thing in the morning, I promise. I have had a long day working with Cerebro or I would get involved deeper tonight. She will be fine, just give it time.’

‘Don’t push yourself to exhaustion on my account…’ Logan thought sarcastically. ‘Just… Don’t take too long… What can I do?’

‘(Sigh) I give my permission for you to go to Meridian, but you didn’t hear that from me. Seventy-two hours is all I can give you. You must stay invisible. I don’t want to hear that you’ve gotten into trouble. Really, I shouldn’t allow you to be a loose cannon, but I can’t stop you when you get like this. You do what you have to, quickly, quietly, and come home. We can’t afford for them to find out that it was mutants that sought revenge for the killings.’

‘I am the best at what I do, but what I do isn’t very nice…’

‘Happy hunting…’

‘Thanks Chuck, I owe ya one.’


Merlotte’s Bar And Grill
Bon Temps, LA.
Monday, June 14, 2010
1:00 P.M.

Logan didn’t need to say good-bye to anyone as he left out the front door. He’d rushed to his room as he’d been talking through the mind phone with the Professor. He’d packed what he needed and was out the door within ten minutes. The keys to the Suburban jingled in his hand as he went out the front door to the garage. About nineteen hard hours later, Logan arrived at the place where he met Marie’s cousin Sookie Stackhouse. He was glad he’d arrived when he had because some pretty darn good scents were coming out of the front door to the place. It signaled in his brain that it was lunch time… He took stock of time and he now had about fifty-four hours left to get some help and get to Meridian before he had to be back in time to see Marie’s lovely eyes wake up to see his face. Getting to her parent’s home would cost him at least another five hours; four if he drove straight through. Logan walked in and picked up his spot he sat in when he shared beers with Marie and her cousin.

A red headed waitress came over, welcomed him to Merlotte’s, and wanted to take his order.

“First off, I need to see Sookie Stackhouse. Is she here?”

“Nah, it’s her day off.”

“Could ya tell me where I can find her? It’s a family emergency.”

“Well why didn’t ya say so sooner. She’s at her house, I think,” the girl pulled out a napkin and wrote Sookie’s address on it. “She’ll probably kill me for givin’ this to ya, but since yer family and all…”

“Thanks. I’ll take a couple double cheeseburgers and fries to go. Add a couple canned sodas if ya got ‘em, and put a rush on it.”

“Sure thing.”

She whisked away and gave Sam in the kitchen the order. Five minutes later, Logan paid for the food and gave the girl a forty dollar tip.


Sookie Stackhouse’s Residence
Bon Temps, LA.
1:30 P.M.

With the Suburban’s GPS he found the place within five miles of Merlotte’s. When he arrived it didn’t take him long to get to the front door where he knocked. Then his sensitive hearing caught male grunts, moans, and a female crying out said male’s name. The eyebrow went up in curiosity before a smug look appeared on his face. Then he rang the doorbell and kept ringing it until he saw that big animal that was with Sookie in the bar. He came up to the door growling… The Wolverine gave an answering growl before he popped the claws. The original idea was to come over and have lunch with Sookie before he told her about Marie. Thank God he’d changed his mind halfway there and ate everything in the bag he’d got from Merlotte’s.

“Whaddya want?”

“Sookie Stackhouse,” the man was dressed in nothing but well-worn blue jeans.

“I’m afraid she’s sleepin’ now.”

“Tell her Logan’s here about Marie and to get her ass down here. I’m on a limited time schedule…”

“It’s okay, sugah, ah’m here,” Sookie said as Logan watched her come down the staircase. “Go, go on upstairs. Ah’ve gotta tahlk with mah future cousin in law.”

“Actually, he needs to stay. I’m gonna need his help as well,” Logan admitted.

“Alcide, please go get meh some sweet tea.” The werewolf left. “So, come on in. What’s wrong with Marie?”

“She’s had a psychotic break from a nervous breakdown.”

He watched as she fell down to her couch.

“What happened?”

“As I heard it, her parents were murdered by the KKK because we went to see them after we left here when we first met. I can’t tell you why I am here exactly, or I’d have to kill ya. I need your growly friend in the kitchen to help me track down the persons responsible. I’ll even take vampire help if you’ve got it. I only have fifty-four hours ‘til I’ve gotta be back to Marie.”

“Ah see. Ah’ll be glad ta keep the secret if ya want, anythin’ for Marie.”

“Ah’m sure Bill and Eric would help if ah asked nicely. Alcide, well he’ll be an extra pair of eyes and ears.”

“Thanks. How soon can we round up this posse?”

“Well, the vampire help will be available after sunset of course, but Alcide can go with ya now.”

“I’m goin’ where? Sookie, you know I can’t leave you.”

“Thanks. Sugah, ya aren’t. Ah’m goin’ too.”

“No, that wouldn’t be a good idea,” Logan protested.

“Sure it would, ah’ve had plenty-ah experience in gettin’ rid of bodies…”

“It’s true, she has,” Alcide spoke up.

“Fine. Go get dressed in something you won’t mind gettin’ dirty, bloody, or mind burning afterwards.”


D’Ancanto’s House
Meridian, MS.
10:00 P.M.

It was finally dark enough for Logan to park the Suburban down the street like he’d done with Marie. It was agreed upon by the team of three to wait until after sunset to finally pull up to the spot that he’d stopped on his previous visit. Though Logan hated having to waste the time, he didn’t want an audience gathering as they were looking around. Sookie had called Bill and Eric while they waited and they would be by soon as they could. The three of them got out of the vehicle and they quietly closed their doors as best they could without making a sound loud enough to raise suspicions. The three of them walked up to the crime scene; looking at the deserted house that Logan and Marie had just visited.

“I need help with picking up any scent trails we can find to track down the murdering bastards that killed my girl’s parents,” Logan whispered to Alcide Herveaux, who had his arm around Sookie’s waist in a possessive hold.

“What should ah do? Sugah?”

“You’re the look out,” Alcide ordered.

“Yeah, watch out for the neck biters and any passersby. We don’t need the law here tonight.”

“Gotcha,” Sookie nodded.


Shortly after, Logan and Alcide went around to the backyard and broke their way into the house. Both men wore plastic gloves and plastic body suits they’d picked up on the way. No sense in leaving any traces of hair for them to pick up. Logan had no way of knowing the police were already analyzing hair samples from him and Marie in the crime lab, even though the KKK had accepted responsibility for the killings. He sent up thanks to God for making sure he cashed the check from Marie’s father before the funds were frozen. They’d done so somewhere between Virginia and Pennsylvania. Alcide took upstairs, while Logan worked downstairs, both men working in the dark so not to arouse the neighbors.


Sookie felt kind of creepy just standing out on the sidewalk so she moved up to the porch and sat down on the swing in the dark. Then she saw a form appear on the walkway up to the front steps of the house.

“Sookie,” Bill Compton spoke lowly where only she could hear it.

“Bill, come on up here and ah’ll explain why ah called.”

“As you wish.”

Then suddenly, The Blond One showed up on the porch closer to Sookie than Bill was. He poofed in before Bill could take up a spot close to Sookie. So, Bill just sat on her other side and made the other half of a vampire sandwich around Sookie.

“Your resident Viking vampire is here, what would you have me do,” Eric asked in a husky, sexy voice.

“The KKK ordered mah cousin’s parents murdered and mah future cousin in law is here with Alcide pickin’ up the scent trails ta track them down ta take care of business.”

“What do you need from us then?” Bill asked.

“Help trackin’ them and ta help meh get rid of bodies. Besahds, ah thought yawl maht lahk some fresh kills.”

“Sookie, you know I don’t go around killin’ for the sake of killin’,” Bill objected, “He might, but I don’t.”

“Bill, these bastards killed some of mah family and made mah favorite cousin go insane. Ah want these fuckers to pay, just as much as mah future cousin in law. The KKK already admitted they did it, but won’t say who did it.”

“I’ll be glad to help,” Eric said before he leaned in and teased the back of her neck with his lips.

“Eric, not now,” Sookie said as she pushed him away. “Ah’m with Alcide, you know that.”

“Can’t blame a vampire for tyin’, can ya?”

“I’ll do it. Anyone comes lookin’ for us, you don’t know anything,” Bill finally acquiesced to Sookie’s request.

“Ah know, ah’m the lookout…”


Infirmary
Level 3 Underground
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
2:00 A.M.

Jubilee couldn’t believe that Marie hadn’t woken up yet and she was really missing her best friend. The baby would be coming soon and she needed her Chica to help her through the delivery. She was there seated in a plastic chair by Marie’s side on the right. She held her hand in both of hers. Worry written all over her face and in her voice.

“Come on Rogey, ya gotta wake up. Word is, Wolvie’s gone after the bad guys that killed your parents. You gotta wake up so I can have this kid wanting to jump out of my belly and come meet Auntie Roguey.”

There was no response, only more rapid eye movement. Suddenly, Jubilee heard the metal doors swish open. Xavier casually walked into the room; it still felt a little strange that he could walk again.

“Couldn’t sleep Professor?”

“I thought I might try another session with her.”

“I should get to bed. No need to throw the book at me. I know I need as much rest as I can get with the baby coming soon,” she spoke as she stood.

“Indeed. Sweet dreams, dear Jubilee.”

“Thanks, you too, Professor.”


Charles took up the seat Jubilee vacated and he telepathically went to Marie in her mind. About midway through his visit, he called Ororo down with the, ‘Brain Phone,’ as Jubilee called it, to the infirmary where Marie lay still upon the hospital bed. Machines and wires connected to her chest and head; her breathing slow, steady.

“I’m here,” Ororo softly spoke about ten minutes later.

He opened his eyes. He’d been having another late night session with Marie, trying to help her cope mentally with the tragic events that caused her to have the mental breakdown.

“I must send you to pick Logan up. Marie will be returning to consciousness soon. I’m sure he’ll want to be here when she wakes.”

“Where is he anyway? I haven’t seen him around and it’s not like him to skip meals or abandon Marie while she’s recovering.”

“Meridian, Mississippi.”

“Do I want to know why?”

“I can’t say. Unfortunately, we don’t have enough time to wait for him to return on his own before she wakes. Take the ‘Bird and bring him home. I will stay with her until you both come home.

“How is she doing?”

“As well as can be expected. Seems she’d reconnected with her mother and received her blessing for the wedding. Her father… Well… That’s another story. It’s almost the equivalent to how you lost your parents. The only difference is that she didn’t see them murdered in front of her.”

“Poor Marie… I will see you later,” she sighed.

“Good luck.”

“Thanks.”


Sarita Lakes Park
Meridian, MS.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
3:50 A.M.

Logan realized that it was getting late and they were still on the hunt. The Wolverine teased him that if he’d been working alone he’d be done already. He pulled up behind some tall bougainvillea bushes near an old one room shack at the lake. There were several cars parked in front of it. The park had shacks the public could rent at the lake during the late spring and summer.

“We’re here. This is the place,” Alcide said as he pulled his shape-shifting face in from outside the vehicle.

They’d rode through the night with him in animal form with his head out of one of the backseat windows; Sookie beside him. He quickly dressed from some spare clothing he brought in a backpack. The two vampires just appeared at the location on their own, with Sookie’s directions of course, and a few others for backup. Logan got out and quietly shut his door. The team gathered around him.

“So what’re we gonna do,” Sookie asked.

“You’re not doin’ anything,” Alcide spoke up.

“I say we leave it to me. I’m awful thirsty,” Eric chimed in, his fangs already released.

“Oh raht and have a vampire witch hunt on our hands. No thanks,” Sookie pulled her hair up in a tight ponytail.

Logan was reminded of Marie’s same habit. She always did it when they practiced in the Danger Room or when they went on a mission. He felt a pang in his heart then. He missed her and wondered how she was doing. Then suddenly he caught a whiff of a familiar scent. He scented the air around him as he turned around. No, she shouldn’t be here. Ororo was supposed to be back at the school. Then he spotted her. If she was here, something was wrong at home. He didn’t wait for her to reach the party as he ran up to her walking form.

“What’s wrong,” he asked.

“Well that’s a fine, ‘how do you do,’ Logan.”

“Why are you here?”

“Charles sent me to bring you home.”

“Marie?” He asked, cautious, and steeled for bad news.

Although he knew he’d never be prepared if something happened to Marie while he was away. Ororo stepped forward and put her hand on his forearm as a sign of comfort.

“She’s waking up soon. The Professor thought you might want to be there when she awakes.”

While Logan was busy talking to Ororo, Eric and his friends couldn’t stay back any longer. Bill stayed with Alcide and Sookie.


She joked, “What’s a few more dead bodies between friends?”

“Speakin’ of bodies. What are we gonna do with this gang,” Alcide asked.

“We could bury them,” Sookie said.

“We could turn them and then stake them.”

Sookie looked at Bill with surprise.

“That might be a good idea. Or we could tah them awl togethah and vanquish them with the sun.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Alcide looked to the out of town stranger.

There was a white headed stranger with him. He smelled a woman and the more he looked at her the more he became attracted. The wolf in him began to lowly growl. Then suddenly, he felt a pain in his gut after Sookie punched him in the gut.

“Hey, watch it.”


Logan walked back to the gang as Ororo waited for him by the motorcycle she rode on to find him. Yes, Ororo had her own bike. He had to get this over with so that he could get back to his girl. He looked up as he heard men screaming and guns firing. Good thing they were out in the woods surrounding the lake or they would have the law on their asses so quick it would make your head spin.

“I have to go. Marie’s gonna wake up soon.”

“That’s alraht. We’ve got this covered,” Sookie spoke.

Logan wanted to ask but the Wolverine was urgently telling him to get back home to his girl.

“How will you get home?”

“Eric’s reinforcements brought transportation. So, we’re good,” Sookie said as she grabbed Alcide’s backpack and her purse out of the Suburban.

Then the stray thought hit her, how would they get rid of all the vehicles?

“Thanks for your help, Marie and I appreciate it,” Logan offered.

“You take care of mah cousin now. Ah will be waitin’ for a call soon.”

“It’s a deal.”


Logan took up the driver’s seat in the Suburban and turned it around to follow Ororo. He sighed. Well, his hands were clean. He didn’t have the murders of all those bastards on his hands. Now hopefully Marie would be at ease that they were dealt with. They ditched the SUV at a baseball field to be picked up later. Charles could make arrangements for the retrieval at his convienence. Once they were back on the Blackbird, and buckled in, Logan tried to pry more information out of Ororo.

“So, what did I miss?”

“Charles has been with her since you left. He was with her when I left. She’ll be waking soon and he didn’t think you’d want to miss it. Seems to me that Marie would be upset as well if you weren’t there.”

“That’s good isn’t it? I mean that she’s waking so soon and all?”

“I suppose so. He thinks she’s ready. Personally, I think she’s still going to need some grieving time.”

“I hope she will come to me instead of pushing me away,” Logan worried that she would blame him for wanting to reconnect with her parents to get their blessing only to tragically lose them.

Infirmary
Level 3 Underground
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
5:30 A.M.

As soon as Ororo had gently set the Blackbird on the basketball court, Logan left his seat and headed for the bay door. The minutes he stood there waiting for the platform to go below ground felt like hours had passed. So impatient to get to Marie; the animal in him began to make him pace back and forth. He smelled Ororo next to him and wasn’t sure when she’d joined him.

“She’s gonna be okay Logan,” she spoke as she put an arm around his lower back in friendship.

“You promise?”

“Yeah, I promise,” she answered him as he put his arm around to her left shoulder, “It’s gonna be okay because I’m helping to plan your wedding and because I say so.”

Ororo smiled at him and he truly smelled that she told the truth. Logan got the feeling that somehow it would be all okay. Then the bay door opened and he broke away from her arm before he quickly exited the plane. Within seconds he was in the elevator going up from the fourth underground level to the third level and the infirmary. Ororo went on up to the room she shared with her family. He went in right away.

Xavier was in a chair that had been by her side, now moved to her head area. He looked to be in a concentrated session with Marie. The sight of his girl hooked up to machines upset the animal but the man understood the need for them. However, the man didn’t appreciate the pulsing cries they made every 10 seconds into his delicate eardrums. He had to accept that they were necessary to keeping Marie alive and functioning. Logan pulled up another chair and sat by her right side. He tried to be patient and wait but the thoughts projected spoke otherwise. Then Charles opened his eyes.

“Welcome back. I trust business was taken care of?”

“My hands are clean Chuck. Marie’s cousin’s friends took care of everything.”

“Interesting.”

“How is she? What can I expect when she wakes up?”

“I’m not certain. I have tried to help her heal from the breakdown, getting her to find her way back. I would expect her to go through the grieving process as any normal person might after the loss of their parents.”

“What do I do if she gets mad at me for makin’ her see her folks?”

“Just be patient with her. Be there for her anyway. I will try to make sure that she does not push you so far away that your relationship suffers.”

“Thanks.”

“She’ll be waking up soon. I must go hit the coffee urn in the kitchen before the others awake.”

“Get some rest. I’ll be up in a bit for some coffee myself.”

“Don’t punish yourself, Logan. It’s not your fault. You had no way of knowing these events would occur this way,” Charles sighed. “I know you’ve already started beating yourself up inside that adamantium laced skull of yours. Don’t throw yourself under the bus…”

“My sister told me… Lily told me that she saw the deaths, but she didn’t know who they were. She didn’t go into much detail, but she must have been talkin’ ‘bout Marie’s parents.”

“Still, there was no way you could have prevented their deaths. When she heals Logan, I think she will be glad that she reconnected with her mother.”

“The way both her parents acted when we got there, I never dreamed that she’d give us her blessing before we left.”

“I’m sure that it made Marie very happy.”

“Yeah for a bit. I just don’t get it… In the span of a few days she lost her grandmother and her parents. I’d go insane too. Talk about instant karma…”

Charles squeezed his shoulder in support before he walked out of one of the med bays that made up the infirmary.


The buzz of the blood pressure machine started up again as it began to fill the bag attached to Marie’s left arm. Logan tried not to wake her but he needed a way to connect with her. He gently lifted her hand and cradled it in both of his. Her hand felt so delicate, almost frail compared to the heaviness of his hands. He softly pressed his lips to the back of her hand and he felt her fingers grip his. He looked up to see her stirring. Her eyeballs began to move a little more rapidly up under her lids. Logan could hear her heart beat quicken in his sensitive ears. His patience was near on end… And then…


Marie was standing in a beautiful meadow, with wild flowers brilliantly blooming through tall, lush green grasses and a gentle breeze blowing through pine trees. The sun high and floating in a clear blue sky; clouds blown through already. She was picking some of the flowers when she felt a pressure on her right hand. She dropped the few flowers she picked and held up her hand. She looked at it strangely. Then she felt a quick pressure on the back of her hand, but then she still felt the grip on her skin. Out of the blue she had a bizarre desire to leave the meadow. A door appeared a few feet away and she felt drawn to it. Marie went through the door and then she began to see through the slits of her nearly closed eyes. She began to open them slowly to become adjusted to the lights overhead. Then she saw Logan holding her hand.

“Hey…” Marie softly spoke; it was the only thing she could think to say.

“Hey…” Logan answered.

“How’d ah get here? Ah was lookin’ out the window in the recreation room.”

“Just rest for now, darlin’. I’m glad those beautiful eyes opened, but you need your rest.”

“Ah should call mah mama and have her come up to the school to see mah dress. She’d really love that. Would you call her for me? She likes you. Once ah get out of here ah can buy her a plane ticket.”


Logan’s heart sank and he cast down his eyes so that she couldn’t see his reaction. She didn’t realize what she’d said. Her mother was dead. He wondered if Charles had set her mind back to before the news announcement of the horrific murder of her parents. He needed to see Chuck right away and let him know that she had some kind of amnesia.

“Sure baby, now get some rest. I’ll be back down in a few hours. It’s still early. I’ll bring you a tray of somethin’ to eat in a while.”

“Okay. Ah’m kindah tired again.”

“Sweet dreams.”

Logan watched as she closed the lids over those beautiful eyes and stayed until he heard her breathing slow. She’d gone back to sleep. He worried that maybe he shouldn’t tell her that her parents were deceased. It would be a great shock and she might have another fainting spell like she had in the rec room. Still he felt guilty for taking her to see her parents. It most definitely put them at risk after seeing what they had written above the victim’s heads.


Level 6 Underground
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
6:15 A.M.

When Logan came out of the infirmary, he smelled a strong current of coffee. He knew Charles had gone up to get some, but why would it be in the hall? Curiosity got the better of him and he followed the scent signature to a metal panel in the corridor. Hmmm… He pushed on the wall and the metal panel pushed out towards him and an elevator greeted his sight. Funny, he couldn’t ever remember hearing about an extra elevator during the bi-monthly security reports. He pushed the only button on the wall next to the door. The door closed and Logan was suddenly being lowered. When he reached the bottom and the doors opened, he got the shock of his life. He’d discovered the secret med bay that currently held Victor Creed floating in a tank of fluid. It was usually only used for dangerous mutants. He was obviously unconscious and hooked up to an oxygen line. Out of the blue, Logan had a flashback to something he wasn’t sure of. He’d been floating just like Victor in a tank of bluish fluid. Charles came out from a small room to Logan’s left.

“What the fuck is, ‘he’ doing here?” He growled as he tried to keep control over his claws.

“We rescued him from a lab in Australia,” Charles sighed with a disappointment laced breath.

“When the hell did this happen? Why wasn’t I called?”

“You were away with Marie. Logan, there’s something you should know… But let’s go get some food, my friend.”

“There’s somethin’ you should know too…”


Headmaster’s Office
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
7:30 A.M.

Logan entered the kitchen and grabbed a quick cup of coffee. His appetite wasn’t all that great. Not since he found out that Chuck was hiding Victor Creed behind his back.

‘BLOODY HELL!’ The Wolverine screamed in Logan’s head.

Maybe later when Marie woke up and was hungry he’d feel up to eating? Maybe not… He headed to Xavier’s office and took up a seat across from where Charles would be sitting shortly. He set his large mug on the desk and popped both sets of claws to release some of the animal’s tension in his hands. It hurt like hell but then within 10 seconds he was all healed. A few minutes later Xavier walked in and sat in the big leather chair behind the antique desk.

“Now, you wanna tell me what the hell is goin’ on?”

“As you know, we received word that the Weapon X Program had been reopened and that they had captured Victor Creed. We were able to track him down to a secret underground lab in Australia, Everett Labs. We found the location 40 Miles South Of Uluru, near Fregon, South Australia. I will not apologize for not including you and Rogue,” he held up his hand to squelch Logan’s objections. “As I saw it, if we took you along there was a risk that you both might have been captured. I couldn’t risk it.”

“But that doesn’t explain why he’s here…”

“Logan, there’s no easy way to say this… Victor Creed has been enhanced just as you were. Moira, Hank, and I have been running tests since he arrived. He is immune to most everything that we first had developed. He has limited immunity to the fatigue poisons created in his body. We were able to focus on the ones he was vulnerable to and generated a kind of sedative for him. So far we have had success in keeping him sedated.”

“What the hell?” Both the animal and man were confused in a way but they also understood on some level what Charles said.

“The difference between you now is that he’s been genetically enhanced by the Weapon X Program. They have increased his strength and accelerated his healing factor.”

“How?”

“Apparently, according to the reports from my contacts, they’ve been capturing and recapturing Victor for the past several years for the genetic modifications. Dr. Valerie Cooper has been in charge of Sabretooth’s transformation. He’s had physical synthetic modifications at least twice. He received his first strength enhancement from his deceased son, Graydon Creed. They used his stem cells to give him superhuman stamina. He can now push himself at top ability for days before fatigue can begin to affect him.”

“You’re shittin’ me, right?”


Charles nodded his head, “I’m afraid not Logan. It’s actually worse, we believe.”

“Sabretooth’s strength has permanently been enhanced after being recaptured after the announcement that Weapon X was operational. His skeleton has been coated with adamantium. However, he was not given adamantium connective tissues in his joints and wrists; only secondary adamantium.”

“So what does that mean?” Logan looked at Charles like he’d grown another head.

“It means… That his can be severed if given the opportunity.”

“Well fuck, that ain’t gonna be easy. Not with the Energizer bunny running in his veins.”

“Victor was given secondary adamantium which is different than that which was grafted to your skeleton. True it is greatly indestructible and far stronger than titanium or steel compounds. In contrast from the report however, extraordinary blunt force such as a punch from superhuman strength can warp or break it. Energy charges in different forms can warp or damage secondary adamantium… Like lightening attacks.”

“You’re sayin’ that the Yellow Sparkplug could damage Sabretooth?”

“Yes, with enough condensed energy Jubilation could.”

“Shit. So, how am I different?”

“During the process of bonding the true adamantium to your skeleton, a new metal was born of a side-effect. Your healing factor not only allowed you to survive the procedure, but it induced a molecular change in the metal. You have adamantium beta. It functions identically to the true structure of adamantium, but it does not inhibit the biological processes of bone. And I believe you have the stronger of the two types of adamantium.”

“Well thanks for the vote of confidence,” Logan smirked and peaked an eyebrow in smugness.

“The exact limits of his strength are unknown, but he is seemingly stronger than you…” Charles teased him.

“Moving on,” Logan spoke to get around the barb. “So now that he’s here, what are your plans? You know it ain’t safe for him here, even if he is underground.”

“I plan to do a little transformation of my own. From what I have seen in our sessions, his psychosis is rooted in his time as a CIA operative. On a mission, he slaughtered a target, his wife and a little boy. The look in the boy's eyes has followed Victor ever since. However, we know not if these memories are accurate. It is likely that the Weapon X Program wanted Sabretooth to believe he has always been prone to violence.”

“True. Then what? You seriously believe you’re gonna change him into a model citizen?”

“Yes, actually,” Charles said and Logan seriously wondered if the new improved Xavier was a few bricks short in his new brain.

“You can’t be serious…”

“Victor Creed is a wanted murderer and if he leaves here, they will use whatever cure weapons they have left to cure him and then incarcerate him permanently. I am not so sure that would work given his virtual immunity to any drug. My proposal is to keep him here and use him on the X-Men team when needed.”

“No way, no way is he goin’ on the team.”

“Just give me some time to get through his mind…”


“Speaking of minds… Marie woke up believing that her mother’s alive. She wants me to call and invite her up here to see the dress. She’s planning to buy her a plane ride up here.”

Charles steepled his fingers in front of his mouth; his brow furrowed in thought.

“She’s entered the shock and denial stage of grief. It’s a good sign.”

“How the hell is that a good sign?”

“The shock is providing some emotional protection from becoming overwhelmed suddenly. She is denying the reality of the loss to avoid the pain. When she finally remembers, she will probably react with numbed disbelief.”

“How long will this last?”

“I’m sorry to say, it may last for weeks.”

“Shit. We’ve got a fourth of July party comin’ up.”

“The stages can hit at the same time or out of order. It’s up to Marie. She may loop back several times, just to keep you aware. Whatever you do, don’t force her to remember what happened to her parents. It could make her recess back into her mind.”

“So what do I do with her?”

“Love her. Hold her when she needs to be held. Bring her tissues when she needs them. General things. Show her you are there for her if she needs you, but don’t push her to get over her loss.”

“I wouldn’t dare. I’m just worried she’s gonna blame me for gettin’ ‘em killed.”

“She may do that, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

Infirmary
Level 3 Underground
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
8:00 A.M.

Jubilee wondered where the Professor and Logan were because they had been missing from the instructor’s table at breakfast. It was rare for both of them to be missing, unless they were on a mission, on personal time away, or at some special event. She wondered if Logan was still down in the infirmary with Marie. She decided to take a chance and went down to visit her anyway with a medium sized plate of breakfast for her. She said good morning to Hank and then went across the hall to the med bay Marie was still sleeping in. Jubilee gently set the tray of food, drink on a table at the end of the hospital styled bed. She gravitated into the chair Logan had vacated earlier that morning. She propped up the cover over the food so that Marie could smell the warm food.


Marie was dreaming of Logan and her sitting next to a tree and enjoying a sunny afternoon when she suddenly smelled bacon… Bacon and orange juice? She slowly opened her eyes and remembered that Logan said he’d bring her something to eat. She looked over to find not Logan but Jubilee watching her wake up.

“Hiya Roguey, how are ya doing today?

“Better ah think. How’d ah get down here? What happened?”


Jubilee carefully considered the situation. What if she told Marie and something bad happened again? Logan would kill her. But she was Marie’s best friend aside from Logan and they always told each other the truth. She decided to take her life into her own hands because dammit, she was 7 months pregnant and you don’t mess with a pregnant Jubilee who can fry your hair with a single electric charge.

“Your hunky, hairy man carried you down here.”

“But why? Tell meh.”

“You had a nervous breakdown, Chica.”

“Ah did? Why?”

“Well, the thing is… Your parents are dead.”


Something wasn’t right… She was just there. She knew they were alive because they were just visited them. No, her mama and daddy were alive.

“What a thing to say, Jubes! They’re just as alive as ah am. Mah daddy’s probably workin’ on a ship model of some kind raht now. Mama’s probably gettin’ the wash on the line. Ah’ve asked Logan to call her and invite her up to see the dress we picked out for the weddin’,” she spoke with numbed disbelief.

“Look, talk to Logan, Chica. He just got back from takin’ care of the bad dudes that killed ‘em.”

“What?”

“Oh yeah, he left here and went to Meridian. Remy said he had help from your cousin Sookie and her friends, and everything…”

“No, no mah parents are fine. How does Remy know Sookie? Ah’ll call when ah get Hank to let meh outtah here.”

Jubilee let it drop from there. She was already in over her head as it was. Remy had ears to the ground and heard about the killings before the cops arrived. There were bodies everywhere and not a drop of blood between any of them. They had torn flesh as well but no blood… The media were sure to report on it soon.

“Now what did ya bring meh, ah’m starved.”


Mansion Rooftop-Tower 1
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
8:00 A.M.

Logan stood up on the roof of the first tower smoking a cigar butt from his back pocket. The Wolverine needed a nicotine rush after the meeting with Xavier. He was up there and thinking of Chuck’s plans. Marie’s denial that her parents were dead, the guilt he had, and he thought of the wedding plans. Would Marie be okay by the time the date came? He knew getting over her parents wouldn’t be all that easy. He was still getting over Jean and to a lesser degree Scott. So lost in thought was he that he didn’t notice that he had company. His sister Lily sought him out to have a chat.

“Ah’m sorry, James. Ah’m so sorry.”

Logan turned to find his sister Lily there.

“What do you have to be sorry about? Please call me Logan. James died a long time ago.”

“Old habbits… Marie’s parents. Ah know now that they were the ones ah saw in mah premonition, Logan.”

“Oh, that.”

“Ah had no idea. Is there anything ah can do, for ya’ll?”

“Not really. Marie’s in denial. Xavier says that’s normal.”

“Well, ah think ah can throw a Fourth of July party ta beat the band. Ah know it maht cheer Marie up when she realizes her loss.”

“Thanks,” Logan said as he exhaled a large puff of smoke. “Is there anything else you can share with me of the future?”

“Not really, but ah remember that ah saw somethin’ happenin’ with you in July or August.”

“Thanks for the heads up,” grumbled.

“You just gotta remember, it will all work out for the best,” she kissed his temple as she squeezed his upper arm.”


Marie's Room
Instructor’s Wing
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
11:30 A.M.

As it happened, Hank decided Marie was recovered enough vitally to leave the med bay and the infirmary behind. Although she still had a few issues with denial, she could still mentally function. He released her just in time before the bell would ring to let the students out for lunch. It was a school day after all, so she slipped up to her room without a peep from anyone. When the Professor passed Ororo and Hank thought it was a good idea to make it a year round school. So the school year started in staggered years depending on what class you were in. Freshmen started in March and were out a year later in May. Sophomores started in June and were out a year later in August. Juniors started in September and were out a year the next November. Seniors started in December and were out twelve months later in February. She closed the door quietly and went on the hunt for her cell phone. When she found it, she flopped down on her bed and started to dial up her mama. It was only 10:30 in the morning in Meridian. The phone rang once, twice, and thrice… Marie let it go on and on. After ten rings, she decided that maybe daddy took mama to the store or something. She left her cell on the nightstand and headed for the shower. Warm water was great for whatever ails you had. And after spending time in the med bay, she felt like she needed to wash away the clinical smells. The Wolverine would be happier when she met up with him later.

A short time later, dressed in a towel, Marie went to her dresser and decided she felt like wearing black. She plucked out her Victoria’s Secret push up bra and panty set. She was still on that time of the month according to what Hank told her, so she remembered to take care of that. Then to the closet and a black cotton skirt just above the knee and a black t-shirt. For some reason, she felt a little weak. Not weak enough to faint, but a bit drowsy. She looked in the mirror and saw the confirmation staring her in the face. She slapped her cheeks a couple times and found her second wind from somewhere. Marie splashed on some powder and paint, and brushed her hair and teeth before she put on some black ballet flats. She grabbed her cell phone in case her mama tried to call her. She’d left her number on a slip of paper inside a memo box on the refrigerator. Then she made her way down to the racket that would be lunch.


Dining Hall
First Floor
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
12:20 P.M.

Marie opened the doors and entered the hall. The room suddenly went quiet and gasps could be heard. She felt a sense of shock all over the room as students stared. She looked over to the instructor’s table and Charles warmly smiled at her. He stood and moved toward a semi-stunned Marie.

“Why do they stare? Have ah got somethin’ on mah forehead?”

“You’ll have to forgive them my dear. They weren’t expecting you to be released so soon. Come, be seated and they will move on to some ridiculous topic,” Charles said as he led her to a seat at the instructor’s table.

Ororo moved one down so that she could sit next to Xavier. Bobby got up and kissed the top of her head after she sat.

“I’m sorry. Good to have you back. Kitty’s been driving me crazy since I turned on that news report.”

“What news report,” Marie curiously asked.

‘I will handle this Robert,’ the Professor messaged to Bobby mentally.

“It was nothing, just about a massive animal rescue,” Charles interceded.

“Oh, ah’m sorry ah missed it. Ah hope they were able to save a lot of animals. Ah have been thinkin’ of gettin’ a new pet.”

“I’m not so sure you need one, Chica… Your big teddy bear is out in the garage,” Jubilee piped up.

“You mean her big puppy dog?” Kitty teased.

“Aww come on guys. Leave Logan alone,” Marie finally spoke.

“I would agree, he’s on his way in,” Charles added.


True to the Professor’s word, a few minutes later, Logan entered the dining hall still a bit covered in grease. His hands were clean though, thanks to that miracle stuff in a bucket Chuck ordered for him. He grabbed a plate of something resembling food and took a seat across from Marie. He hoped she wasn’t hurt; he just couldn’t sit next to her. He was afraid that if she touched him, she might see what he knew about her parents and their deaths. That was one of the reasons why he’d been avoiding her since he’d seen her so early that morning. Not to mention her period… The blood was driving the Wolverine crazy. One of the last reasons was that there was a student in his automotive class that had a learning disability. He had trouble processing the information Logan was spewing out to the other students. He had permission from Charles so he got to record the class if he missed certain parts of the notes he was supposed to know. After the class, Logan took the time to teach him hands on how certain things worked and now to be cleaned. He figured it was up to the kid to study hard to integrate what he taught him and the notes together.

“Ah called mah mama and no one answered. She’s probably out shoppin’ or somethin’. Were you able to call her earlier about the trip up here,” Marie asked him.

“Uh… No, sorry. I haven’t had the time,” he couldn’t look her in the eye as he picked up a roast beef sandwich and took a bite.

“No worries, sugah. Ah’ll call her later.”

Logan looked up at Charles with concern.


‘What do I do here, Chuck?’ He sent to him.

‘Just stay the course. It’s a good sign that she’s reaching out to her mother. Soon, she will move beyond the shock and denial when she realizes her parents are gone.’

‘Then what’s next?’

‘The pain and guilt phase.’

Charles knew that when the coroner released the bodies, someday soon, if Marie’s parents had wills, an executor of the estate would try to contact her about their contents. Then if she hadn’t gotten past the shock and denial phase, he planned to help her unlock what she was missing. The pain she would feel then would be devastating and he knew Logan would know what to do then.


Marie wondered what was going on between Logan and the Professor. There were lots of eye movements between the two and then suddenly, the last look on Logan’s face was a frown.

“What is it, Logan,” she quietly asked as she leaned a little over her plate that Kitty brought her after Bobby sat back down.

“What?”

“The looks you and the Professor are sharin’…”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I was usin’ the mental phone to tell him ‘bout a student in my class that’s slow.”

“Yes, Logan’s been taking more time with him hands on so that he absorbs the information better.”

“Oh. That’s nice.”

“Yeah. I guess. He’s doin’ better the more we do stuff after class.”


Marie's Room
Instructor’s Wing
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
1:00 P.M.

Logan went off to his next class and Marie decided to go back up to her room to call her mother again. It was noon back home and mama would be in the kitchen making lunch for her and her grumpy husband. She remembered the conversation they had about Logan out in the backyard while her mother hung the clothes on the line. The rings were consecutive, one after another, and no one picked up. Marie decided not to give up yet. She’d call again after dinner. She had no idea that back home arrangements were being made for the charred remains to be cremated together after the coroner was done with the investigation. Her mother’s lawyer would be contacting her soon. Her father had a separate lawyer and until his will was read would she know whether she was included in the division of his assets. Marie was an only child, so legally, she should get everything… But only if both parents agreed she should get it all.


Marie's Room
Instructor’s Wing
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
Friday, June 18, 2010
7:00 P.M.

Marie had been trying now four days to reach her mother and no luck. She began to get worried, but then she tried to talk herself out of it by telling herself that maybe her parents went on vacation somewhere. She dialed again after dinner and nothing. She went to stand by her window and as she stared off into the grounds below, Jubilee’s voice kept popping up in her mind.

“But why? Tell meh.”

“You had a nervous breakdown, Chica.”

“Ah did? Why?”

“Well, the thing is… Your parents are dead.”

A beat later…

“Look, talk to Logan, Chica. He just got back from takin’ care of the bad dudes that killed ‘em.”

“What?”

“Oh yeah, he left here and went to Meridian. Remy said he had help from your cousin Sookie and her friends, and everything…”

Then suddenly her mind began to put two and two together… Her mother didn’t tell her that they were going on vacation somewhere. Priscilla would have wanted to share that information with her daughter. Her father didn’t mention any trip either. Out of the blue she had a flashback of the television screen in the rec room and Marie abruptly felt cold, her chest hurt, her head hurt, her body hurt. She got into bed and began to sob and cry into her pillow where no one could hear. Her shock wore off and according to the Professor’s prediction it was replaced with the suffering of almost unbearable pain. For days to come, Marie would be going through excruciating and almost unbelievable pain. She would have to fully experience it and not hide it or avoid it. Somehow, Logan would have to keep her from getting into his stash of alcohol or getting drugs from somewhere outside the school. But for now, she tried to hide her weeping from the others by crying into her pillow.

‘Mah parents are dead,’ she thought.

Dining Hall
First Floor
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
7:25 P.M.

Charles heard her mental projection of her realization of her parents’ death. He immediately called for Hank through that same telepathic phone line. She was going to need something to calm her down and relax her body so that she could rest. He had a feeling it wouldn’t be long until she had hit the next stage.


Logan was in the main hall getting ready to go out for an after dinner cigar as the students let out after dinner. He spotted a determined Hank trying to get through the crowds of students.

“Hey, listen up,” he roared at them. “Move it! The Doc’s gotta get through!”

To Hank’s amazement, the students parted like the Red Sea.

“Thanks Old Man,” he hollered back as he headed up the stairs.

Logan wondered where he was going in such a hurry. Marie hadn’t gotten sick had she? She’d said she was going to try calling her mother again. He’d done what she’d asked and tried to call Marie’s mother to appease her, but he knew he wouldn’t get through. So he’d reluctantly let her go early from dinner to call. He followed Hank up but stopped on the next to the top step of the staircase. As soon as he heard her tears start, Logan felt the guilt monster hit his chest. He wondered if he should put the cigar on hold or stay with her now… The Wolverine won out; cigar time it would be.


Alkali Lake, Canada.
After The Dam Broke…
Several Years Ago…
12:00 P.M.

While near a drowning death underwater at Alkali Lake, Jean Grey cried out for help to save the lives of her fellow X-Men. The Blackbird was in trouble and her powers felt like they were weakening. She was still weak from that fight she had with Scott below ground. The Phoenix Force heard her cry. She had made contact with the sum and substance of life inside her, her true gift. It sensed her intense passion for life and love for Scott, and her friends. It responded and offered to save her by joining with her, bonding her humanity with its awesome power. Jean had no idea that she’d just become an Omega Level Mutant. When she was at her highest potential from now on, she would be transformed into the Phoenix Force.

Jean gave the infamous words to Charles that he shared with everyone on the Blackbird and then she accepted the offer. She told Charles not to worry and that she would see him again someday, which he didn’t share with them. The others assumed that she’d died… Immediately, she found her consciousness residing in a clone of her body. The original Jean infused the copy with her essence which caused the Phoenix Force to believe that it truly was the original Jean Grey. However, the new Jean began to call itself Phoenix. She scooped up the former dying body of Jean and placed her in a healing cocoon, her body still held within it a spark of the original Jean’s soul. Phoenix then telekinetically tossed the cocoon where no one would find it for some time. It landed in Jamaica Bay, sank deep into the sand at the bottom of the Bay. The reproduced Jean, now Phoenix, proceeded to tear original Jean’s life apart. Her new identity and her immense abilities inevitably resulted in the Phoenix becoming overtaken and spoiled by her god-like gifts.

Ultimately, she became a force of total destruction and called herself Dark Phoenix. Then she killed Scott and Xavier before she joined Magneto to destroy Alcatraz Island. Even Dark Phoenix, all the while still believed itself to actually be Jean Grey up until its death at the hands of the Wolverine. After the death of the Dark Phoenix, the Phoenix Force dispersed into its original shape and a fragment located the still-regenerating original Jean at the bottom of Jamaica Bay. In trying to reconnect with Phoenix Force, Jean sensed its memories of death and destruction as Dark Phoenix and rejected it. So, Phoenix Force bonded it to another clone of Jean, this time created by a villain known as Mister Sinister. Her name was Madelyne Pryor… But the real Jean made the Phoenix Force destroy her with telekinetic powers, just as Charles Xavier had been.


More recently, Tony Stark and the Avengers were on a mission with the Fantastic Four… They managed to recover the cocoon. Thor used his hammer and when they opened it, they found the original Jean’s body breathing on her own. All her injuries were healed but two major ones. She lost access to her telepathy and she had no memory of involvement in the events that happened after she’d met the Phoenix Force. She couldn’t even recollect any of the actions of the Phoenix or Dark Phoenix. Somehow, the Phoenix Force had erased that box in her brain. The Fantastic Four went home and the Avengers, mainly Mr. Stark, told her of what happened and how she was believed dead by the world, until they’d found her. Jean was devastated to learn what the Dark Phoenix and Magneto had done.


Now, after Jean’s supposed death at Alkali Lake, Scott had been out for a ride and was overtaken by a mutant villain called Apocalypse. He possessed Cyclops and caused him to spiral downhill emotionally until his apparent death at the hands of Dark Phoenix. Jean was very distraught when she learned that her chosen fiancé was dead. Tony Stark cheekily told her yeah, he might be somewhere in the hereafter, but Apocalypse had his body. He’d cloned it before the real Scott’s body was destroyed. She began to suspect that Scott was still alive somewhere. So, instead of going back to the X-Men right away to let them know she was alive, Jean went on the hunt for the villain. After all, if she could bring them both back to the mansion, it was better than having just one. He used the grieving body of Scott as a host until she was able to remove Apocalypse’s essence. She brought Scott back to his reproduced body using Phoenix Force.

Now reunited, Scott and Jean agree that it wouldn’t be wise to go back home to the X-Men just yet… Mainly because neither wanted Logan to resume repeatedly seducing her again. Neither knew that Marie and Logan were getting married. Tony Stark kept that little secret to himself, just to see the shit in the pot get stirred more. Scott had no memory of his spirit telling Logan to accept Marie’s proposal at Disneyland either, he barely remembered Jean when she separated the villain from her lover’s body. Apocalypse had erased several boxes in Scott’s mind. Both were extremely excited to learn from Mr. Stark, that Charles had gained a new body and was back at the helm of the school. They had hope that the new Charles could help reach into his mind to recover what was lost.


So, once Tony released them, Jean and Scott ran off to Las Vegas and got married. A little over a half a year later, Jean gave birth to triplets, Nathan Christopher Charles Summers, who would later become the super-hero mutant, Cable. Then, Rachel and Hope Summers were born, identical twins. Scott settled them in Colorado… Up in the mountains where his mutation would be less dangerous to humans, however, he didn’t have to worry much about that any more. Jean used the Phoenix Force to help Cyclops hang up his red shades when they weren’t needed. All he had to do was flip a mental switch and have his red shades handy… Being up in the mountains without a soul nearby but family, helped Jean and Scott enhance their communications, relations, intimacy, and marriage by leaps and bounds.


Marie's Room
Instructor’s Wing
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
11:30 P.M.

Marie tried to sleep but the pain she felt seemed to make her bones ache. Her inner Logan kept telling her he was sorry for her loss. Magneto seemed insensitive by saying that they deserved what they got as humans, but then the Wolverine threatened to beat him up and then he reluctantly apologized when he realized he had no power to fight back. She sat up in bed and moved toward the edge. It even hurt to sit up. Her head was pounding… Hank had given her something to help her sleep with the promise not to take it with any form of alcoholic beverage. Of course, the Rogue in Marie made her cross her fingers behind her back. Nothing was going to stop her if she wanted that release the deadly combination of the two could bring, which the depression was taking control. So, she got up and went to the bathroom for some of those pain killers… She took two since just one wouldn’t have knocked her out. Marie stared in the mirror as she heard movement behind her.

“You okay, darlin?” He asked, concerned.

“Yeah, ah am now.”

“I’m gonna go do my rounds, wanna come with?”

“Nah, ah’m gonna go back to bed and get rid of this headache.”

“Tell you what, hold that thought, and I’ll come back to help send that headache on its way.”

“Don’t rush. Ah’m sure ah’ll be sleepin’ when you come back. Be thorough. Never know when a mad scientist might wanna D-N-A sample.”

“’Kay. I love you,” Logan touched his lips gently to her forehead.

“Love you too.”


Marie’s Room
Instructor’s Wing
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
11:50 P.M.

Impatience won out when Marie felt that enough time had passed for Logan to be on his nightly security rounds around the mansion. She used her key to Logan’s room and raided his liquor stash in the upper shelf in his closet. Logan had stashed it there so the younger students couldn’t reach it. She went back to her room and locked the door. A flop down on the bed before the cap was off and she was drowning her pain with fire burning down her throat. She leaned back against the padded headboard as the effect was almost immediate. She began to feel relaxed and sleepy; her pain became nothing but a memory.


Marie’s Room
Instructor’s Wing
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
12:30 A.M.

It usually took Logan about two hours to check the grounds, but this night, it was interrupted. He had been heading to check on that kid that was a mutant remote control when his hearing picked up a crash of something…

‘Logan, you must get to Marie’s room. She’s in trouble. I have contacted Hank to meet you there.’ He suddenly got from Chuck on the brain phone.

Suddenly everything seemed to be moving in slow motion in his mind but his body moved like lightening as he thundered up the staircase to get to her room. He found her door locked and a few seconds later a claw helped him enter the room. Logan saw her with her head slumped down and to the right; her arm pointed to the floor with her palm open. He didn’t immediately understand why Marie was in trouble until he saw the shattered bottle of his favorite old Kentucky bourbon on the floor by her nightstand. Logan didn’t yell; instantly he was by her side and he began to try to wake her. Nothing was working and panic began to set in as he checked her pulse and found it very weak. He worried that it wouldn’t work, but he had to try as he took her hand and tried to make her turn on her skin. Then Hank came in behind him with his medical bag and he gave her a shot of adrenaline right away to get her heart to pump faster as Logan held on.

Just as Hank was about to give Marie some black and nasty looking stuff he called charcoal, Logan felt the sting of pain begin and he felt her skin working. He understood that the black stuff in the syringe was to help Marie induce evacuation of the alcohol and possibly the pain killers as well, but he knew it wasn’t necessary now that he was healing his girl.


Marie had gone to her peaceful and happy place in her mind. She was sitting comfortably in the green grass under a pine tree. Out of the blue, she saw Logan appear before her to say he was sorry. Then he disappeared and her peaceful, happy place vanished as visions of Logan’s recent memories began to flood her subconscious mind. She watched how he felt when he found her on the ground in the rec room and then how he felt when he found out her parents were dead. How he left and what he went through as he took care of business in the south. As she was getting a window into Logan’s mind, she also saw the reasons why he’d been pulling away from her. She felt his guilt, his pain as she asked him to call her mother and invite her north to see the dress she’d bought. Before Marie saw that Charles had Victor downstairs, she suddenly woke up as she realized what was happening. Her eyes opened long enough to see Logan passed out across her legs.


Hank moved quickly and took care of Logan by moving him so she could retrieve her legs. He picked Logan up and hefted him over one of his broad shoulders. Then he grabbed his medical bag and headed out the door. He took him down to the infirmary. He had a feeling Logan would panic when he woke up, considering what he saw Marie looked like before he touched her. ‘Will things ever be beautiful for this couple?’ Hank thought as he went to the elevator. Things had taken such a down turn since they found out Marie’s cat had been killed by the man they kept sedated downstairs in the secured lock up. He made sure the two men were kept separate. He and Charles changed the codes to enter the secured lock up area daily. True, he could use a claw and get in, but they hoped to be able to stop Logan before then.


Charles walked into the room and sat down on the side of the bed, a few inches from her feet. He didn’t dare to touch her because he knew her skin was active after having taken a hit from Logan.

“Marie…,” Charles sighed as he saw her tear streaked face.

“Ah just want the pain to go away…” she sobbed.

“I know it hurts but it is important that you experience the pain fully and not hide from it. You must not escape it by mixing alcohol with drugs, like you tried to tonight. That’s not the answer…”

“Then what is the answer? Ah hurt everywhere… Ah even hurt down to mah hair follicles. Ah should have reconciled with mah mama sooner. Ah wish she could have met Logan sooner. Ah wish she could’ve come to the wedding… Ah know mah daddy was an ass, but he didn’t deserve what happened.”

“I don’t know Marie. It’s different for everyone. I know this time in your life feels chaotic and scary during this phase you’re going through… But you have to understand it will get better. Don’t make any rash decisions now.”

“You mean lahk the ones Logan made when he left to play Rambo? Yeah, ah know, ah saw.”

“That was Logan’s way of dealing with the death of your parents.”

“He lied to meh, Professor, he lied to meh.”

“I don’t think he had bad intentions Marie. We’ve all been worried about you; even more so now that you’ve mixed two dangerous elements.”

“How is he?”

Charles checked with Hank downstairs in the infirmary via the mental phone.

“He’ll be fine. He’s resting. Hank said he’ll be released in a day or so.”

“Good, because ah’m gonna throw the book at him for makin’ meh go down south to see mah parents. Ah said no, ah was fahn without goin’ back home, but he went behind mah back and contacted them,” Marie was angry…

“That would not be productive, Marie. I know you’re hurting. Take some time and rest. Come, come, and lay down. I’ll tuck you in.”

Marie resisted at first and then she acquiesced to his request. She lay back and rolled to her right side. Charles picked up the covers and tucked her in as he said he would. Then he sat back down next to her.

“Now, I want you to rest. A little advice… Don’t lash out at Logan. There was no way he could have known that your parents would be murdered in such a heinous way. I couldn’t keep him from going to your hometown to deal with the persons responsible for the crime. He would have gone whether I said go or stay. Obviously, I could not officially tell him to go with my blessing.”

“Why?” She sleepily asked him and Charles understood what she was asking. “You think maybe it was because ah slept with Logan before ah got married? Maybe God’s punishing meh?”

“I don’t know Marie, but I do know that your parents loved you. You will come out of this time stronger. Please come and see me if you start feeling the need to self-medicate, I have a good ear and shoulder available. Now, I must find a broom and clean this mess of glass and Logan’s good bourbon before I leave.”

“Just leave it. Ah’ll clean it up in the morning as mah penance.”

“As you wish Marie.”

Charles moved to the door in his slipper covered feet.

“Good night, Marie.”

“Good night, Professor. Ah feel better already ah think.”

“Sweet dreams.”


Xavier seemed to be pleased that he witnessed that Marie was entering a new stage of the grieving process… However, the new one that she was entering wasn’t a good one. She had no clue that she had entered the anger and bargaining stage. Her frustration with Logan’s lying had given way to anger. Charles hoped to warn Logan before Marie got to him. The Wolverine needed to be prepared for the lashing and unwarranted blame for the death of her parents, Logan as well. He hoped that she would seek him out for counseling if she needed it. The second biggest concern he had was Marie causing permanent damage to her relationship with Logan. If they couldn’t weather this storm, how would they handle crisis as a married couple? The biggest concern was Marie’s attempt at self-medicating. Xavier knew that she was in a lot of pain, but he had no idea that she’d sunk so low as to attempt suicide to get rid of the pain. He was glad that Logan was able to get through to her or guaranteed; she would have killed herself. He hated to think that they would be attending a funeral instead of a wedding.

If it was to be believed that she had gone up a stage, soon Charles expected her to start bargaining with the powers that be for a way out of her misery. Somehow, he had a feeling she might ask him to use his gift to go into her mind and erase the pain. He knew he couldn’t for her sake, but the pain of having to refuse her… And what to do about Logan? If she attacked him, would he fight back and say something he didn’t mean or would he stand there and take it? Because he felt Marie’s pain and the guilt of lying to her, it would be easy to stand there and take it. And if they broke up over this? Several parties would be upset. He knew Logan might leave the school indefinitely… However, his family was here. Would he stay to protect them or would he depart and leave them in my care? He thought as he headed back to bed.

Caldicott-Howlett Apartment
Thornwood, NY.
Monday, June 21, 2010
6:00 A.M.

Angry thoughts continued to fester in Marie. She hadn’t even gone to sit vigil over Logan until he woke up. No, she wasn’t going to let him off the hook, not yet. Marie didn’t even stay to wait for him to wake up. She left the school super early Sunday morning, headed to their home in Thornwood to get some space from Logan and the situation there. She hadn’t been there since they came home one night to find her dear Tigger dead in a box, courtesy of Sabretooth. She spent the rest of the day on Sunday in bed resting and not dealing with the situation she ran from. No one knew she’d left the school during the early morning hours on Sunday. Marie even turned on Magneto’s skills to avoid being detected in Cerebro. When she woke up Monday morning she sent Xavier an email to his cell phone.

To: mindclass at XavierSchool.net
From: msmidas at XavierSchool.net
Re: Time off…

Ah am takin’ some time away for a while. Ah need tahm to refocus. Logan… Tell Logan I’m at home if he wants to see meh… Sorry about everything. M.


Charles was at his desk when he felt his cell phone hum on the lacquered furniture. He picked it up and answered it right away.

To: msmidas at XavierSchool.net
From: mindclass at XavierSchool.net

Marie, you should know… Logan has been looking for you since he woke this morning. I’m sure your classes can be handled for a while… Please take care of yourself and remember what I said. I will inform Logan at breakfast. CX.


Marie climbed out of bed to make a quick pit stop and then she crawled back into bed. The unbearable pain was back with a vengeance and the depression decided to join the party. She didn’t feel like doing anything but sleep. A part of her thought if she slept, maybe the pain would go away. With seeing what Logan felt, she finally felt the true magnitude of her loss and that was why the pain had returned with the depression. She had entered another stage; this time depression, reflection, and loneliness would be her friends until she reached the next phase came on. She began to feel so empty. The despair began to feel bone deep. Then sleep began to overtake her once more and Marie let her eyelids fall.


Dining Hall
First Floor
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
7:30 A.M.

Logan hadn’t slept very well at all since he’d been released by Hank that morning. Hank made him stay and rest even though he felt completely healed. He sensed something wasn’t right… Blue had told him that Marie was alright after his attempt to resuscitate her. Shouldn’t she be down below, sitting by his side? He went to find Marie once he came above. She wasn’t in her room and her bed was pristinely made. A tour of the grounds during his morning run didn’t pick up much of her scent but it led him to discover that her car was missing. Then he decided to ask Chuck what was going on but remembered that the students would be headed to the Mess Hall as Wolverine called it. It didn’t mean Mess Hall in the military sense, but in the olfactory sense… It was a hall filled with a mess of scents to Logan when he entered the room. He went up and hit the showers before he changed into something dry. Logan entered the hall and grabbed a plate of breakfast before he went to the instructors’ table. He sat down between Chuck and Ororo before he began to fork his food a little around the plate.

“Where’s Marie, Chuck?” He simply asked.

“I received an email from her this morning. She will be away from the school for an indeterminate period. I granted her request considering the emotional toll she has gone through so far.”

Logan’s fork clattered to his plate.

“What the…” He stopped himself considering the young ears in the vicinity, possibly listening in.

Sensing the anger spike in Logan, Charles spoke up about the rest of the email.

“She said to tell you that she went home.”

“Home? Did she go to Meridian?” The anger and confusion clearly now in his tone of voice.

“I don’t believe so.”

“Don’t you remember? You and my Rogey bought a place in Thornwood?” Jubilee added.

Truth be told, he’d forgotten all about it. So many things had happened since he and Marie had been there. He ate more breakfast as he tried to form a plan.


“What did she mean, indeterminate? Is that such a good idea since she tried to kill herself?”

“She and I had a long talk after you were taken to the infirmary. And in her email she said she needed to refocus. You can understand her position. I had no reason to think that she would make another disastrous attempt.”

“Look, I’ll see you all later. I’ve got to straighten things out with Marie.”

“Tread lightly, Logan, don’t push her too hard,” Charles warned. “Be aware that she blames you for the loss of her parents.”

“Thanks.”


Caldicott-Howlett Apartment
Thornwood, NY.
9:00 A.M.

Logan pulled into their driveway and killed the motorcycle engine. He sat erect in the seat and looked at the building. Marie had to be inside because her car still sat in the driveway. She was right to some degree… He was responsible for making Marie reconnect with her parents. He was guilty for telling her the truth instead of lying to her, making her believe that her mother was still alive. He was at fault for pulling away from her… And he was responsible for leaving her when she needed him most to go exact some kind of revenge on the persons that ended her parents’ lives. Logan worried that he’d be entering a hostile environment. The Wolverine only cared about getting back to his mate. He threw a leg over and stood, somehow gaining the courage to face Marie. He had to figure out how to handle an upset Marie… He knew how to in the past but this was a different upset Marie. Before, she wasn’t engaged to marry him… Now they were soon to be married. Logan decided to put it all on the line and face Marie.

His key entered the door and then he crossed the threshold after he opened the door. The keys went into the dish on an antique desk by the door. Living room was clear and the apartment seemed quiet… The door closed and he locked it before he headed toward the bedroom. He quietly opened the door where he smelt Marie’s scent the strongest. She was in bed… He had no idea that she’d been there for a day and was building up to another. She was curled up in the covers, fetal position, asleep. Her face looked pained and slightly pale. Logan moved to his side of the bed and sat down as gently as he could with an adamantium filled body. She began to rock in her sleep and then it became vocal.

“No, no, no mama. It’s gonna be okay. No, no, no…” She kept repeating.

Logan debated waking her, when she suddenly woke up, panting, and sobbing as she held her head. He quickly moved across the bed and pulled her into his arms. His right leg went under hers as the other went around her lower back. He held her tight as she continued to cry.

“Ssh, baby, I’m here. Ssh, it’s gonna be okay,” he tried to soothe her; his left hand began to stroke her crown.


Inside Marie’s mind was a nightmare she’d been having since she’d recovered from her nervous breakdown. She’d see her parents happy with her as a child and then she’d see them upset when they found out she was a mutant. Then she’d see them when Logan took her to see them again after so many years. And she’d see her mother looking slightly happier before she’d then envision them all bloody before she’d see them rotting, and then just their empty skeletons. It happened again and again… Only this time she smelled cigars and… And… Logan? She woke herself up to try and get it to stop. Then she felt strong arms around her and he was telling her it was all going to be okay… Hell no! It was never going to be okay! Her parents were dead… She felt all alone in the world. No siblings to lean on and her cousin Sookie was too far away. She was ignoring the fact that she had Logan right there, and her friends back at the mansion.

Marie pulled away from Logan and he let her go without a fight. She silently went into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. There was no use in locking the door because she knew that Logan would cut the locking arm post in the door. She splashed water on her face and adjusted her hair back into a decent ponytail. Then she sat down on the toilet…

“Marie, you okay?” She heard through the door.

She didn’t answer him and then she heard the door open. She felt his gaze upon her as if it were judging her as she looked at the tile pattern on the floor. It seemed more interesting than anything Logan had to say.

“When was the last time you ate, Marie?”

“Don’t remember.”

“Are you hungry?”

“No.”

“Would you like to go get something with me?”

“Don’t care,” she mumbled but she knew he could hear her.

“Do you want to stay here or do you want to get dressed and come outside with me?”

“Ah don’t know, pick one,” Marie said as she stood and pushed past him.

Marie went back to bed and pulled up the covers up to her chest. That about answered that…


Logan let her go from his arms, heeding Chuck’s advice not to push her, but then he went and fucked things up. He followed her to the bathroom and got a good look at her. She not only looked a little pale she also looked tired. He wondered when she last ate something… So he asked her and with her answer he knew that she was being a bit too indignant with him. The animal began to worry that his mate wasn’t eating. It worried that maybe she was sick. He needed to do something to remedy this soon or his mate could die. He considered threatening to go get Jubilee to knock her out of this funk she was in… But then what if it didn’t work? He watched her get back into bed and cover up; that made the choice for him. Sure, he could have pushed and made her get up to go out with him, but what good would it serve. She’d just get even more cross with him.

“Fine, stay here. I’ll be back in a few,” Logan said and stomped his way out to his bike in the driveway.

A few miles later, Logan succeeded in finding a sandwich shop. A small fortune later, he had procured lunch for Marie and himself. He came back in to the apartment and left the food on the kitchen counter on his way on to see Marie. She was exactly where he left her. She was asleep again in the fetal position. This time he went to sit parallel with her shins.

“Baby, it’s time to get up. You gotta eat something,” he firmly spoke, hoping that it would spur her into some kind of action.

“Ah’m not hungry,” she said without opening an eye.

“Look, I know you’re sad and depressed, but you gotta eat to keep your strength up. You’ve gotta get over this and not let it get you.”

“Leave meh alone. Ah ain’t gotta get over it because you said so. Ah don’t even have to eat if ah don’t wanna.”

“I know how you feel. I went through what you’re going through now when we lost Jean.”


Marie came up off that bed like a pistol with her nostrils flaring. Her eyes began to flood with salt water as she got ready to let him have it, both barrels.

“Oh no, don’t you fuckin’ dare. You buried yourself in a damn bottle until you were good and ready to come out of it. Well ah don’t get that luxury… Ah don’t get to find the bottom of a bottle because ah don’t heal lahk you do,” she yelled at him. “Ah don’t want you here to touch meh every time ah decide to drink!”

“Marie, I know you don’t mean that.”

“Oh yes, ah bloody hell do. Ah told you ah didn’t wanna go see mah parents! But nooo… The Wolverine got his way… Now ah have to live with the pain every day. The pain of getting through to mah mama to let her know ah was gonna marry a good man. The pain of never having mah mama here to see mah weddin’ dress, much less the weddin’,” Marie said, her accent thick as she started to break down in tears again. “Now ah have to live with the pain of not having a weddin’.”

“What are you sayin?” Logan looked at her like she’d grown a second head.

“Just that. The wedding is off.”

“You can’t mean that Marie,” he said as she began taking her rings off.

“Here, take ‘em,” she spoke as she held them out in her hand.


‘No, no, no, fuck no, this isn’t right. Shit, it’s all goin’ to hell…’ Logan thought.

“No Marie, they’re yours.”

“Ah don’t want them anymore,” she voiced before she threw them at him on her way to escaping into the bathroom again.

This time she locked the door to signify the end of the conversation. But with Logan, it was never that easy. Seconds later he was at the bathroom door. He tried to open the door and found it locked. Then a thud to the door as his head hit it.

“Marie baby, please let me in.”

“You lied to meh, Logan.”

“Please don’t shut me out.”

But Marie had a right to. He’d shut her out when it came to his getting over Jean. He did it all on his own without help. Why should he assume that she needed help? Well because she was letting the depression get to her and she attempted to end her life. Then reality hit him. Xavier had warned him not to push her and what had he done? Shit. The Wolverine didn’t want to leave her alone in this state, but the man had to fade back and lick his wounds. She didn’t want to marry him anymore… Part of him knew that she wasn’t serious. She was lashing out in pain. He just knew that it had been right to get her parents’ permission to marry… And someday he knew that she’d see it his way as well. As painful as it was, Logan decided to give her some time and space, but not before he let her know a few things.

“You should know, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was only doin’ what I thought was best for you. I didn’t mean to lie to you. I should have told you the truth but you’d just gotten over a nervous breakdown and I didn’t want to be the cause of a relapse. I’m not sorry those bastards paid for what they did to your family. I’m sorry I pulled away from you because I felt guilty. I’m sorry and I love you, Marie. I’ll be at the mansion if you need me. Bye.”

Logan waited for a response and when none came he left the bedroom. He stopped off in the kitchen and grabbed his sandwich in the bag off the counter. He put Marie’s in the favorite sandwich in the refrigerator and locked up the apartment behind him. He put his keys in the right pocket of his silk shirt before throwing a leg over the bike.


Headmaster’s Office
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
12:00 P.M.

After eating and driving around for an hour, Logan went back to the mansion. He needed to see Chuck… Logan figured Xavier was the only one that could fix this since Marie wouldn’t talk to him. It was almost time for lunch break at 12:30. He went right to his office and before he could knock Chuck did that weird thing and told him to enter.

“You got a minute?”

“As a matter of fact I do, lunch is in a few minutes. What can I do for you?”

“Help me fix Marie.”

“Take a seat… What have you done,” he asked a beat later.

“She’s called off the wedding.”


Charles sighed. He knew he shouldn’t be surprised. He kind of half expected it to happen. Someday he hoped that for once, Logan would heed his advice. He leaned back as he tried to think of what to do. Part of him wanted to tell Logan to grovel at Marie’s feet… But that wasn’t such a good idea at the moment.

“Start at the beginning and tell me everything that happened. Then maybe, just maybe we can mend this before it becomes a disaster or Jubilee and Ororo find out.”

Boat House
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
2:00 P.M.

After his meeting with Xavier, Logan went out to the boat house to relax. They had come up with a little something resembling a plan. Just wait… Don’t make any hasty decisions to make the situation worse and maybe Marie would come around in time. The Wolverine didn’t like it but he wasn’t exactly in charge at the moment. Trying it the animals’ way got the man into the mess they were in. Hank was covering some of Logan’s less active courses. The advanced self-defense classes were canceled for the rest of the week because Logan didn’t want to give up that duty. Storm could teach them the basics again if necessary. He picked up a Molson and headed into the living room. He plucked off the lid and let the cool brown class touch his lips. Marie’s words began to echo in his head…

‘You lied to meh, ah don’t want them anymore, and ah’m callin’ off the weddin’…’ he thought about what she said.

Then his eye caught the box of that movie about his life… And things suddenly shifted… For the worse… The Wolverine took over and told him that fine, if she didn’t want him then he was gonna do whatever the hell he wanted and not wait to watch the rest of the movie with her. He was going to wait and watch it with her but now that the wedding was off, why wait, right? All the plans he’d made with Xavier went out the window… The next minute Logan was up and grabbing the remote off of the opposite end of the couch’s table. He turned on the flat screen and the DVD player. The menu came on and he found where he’d left off…

The fight was over and Logan’s bone under the adamantium tingled as he watched Victor break his bone claws. The animal began to itch to be let out… He watched as he inevitably ended up in the emergency room. And there appeared the son of a bitch that began his nightmare. Stryker… Part of him was enormously proud that he’d managed to capture and kill him after he had tried to mess with his life and the lives of those around him. He hated that his victory was bittersweet because he’d also lost Jean…

‘I can help you he says…’ The Wolverine growled in his head.

“Fuck, I should have killed him then…” Logan said as he took another swig of beer. “The hell I can’t kill him…”

Logan considered ignoring what Chuck had to say and finish the job he’d started out trying to do decades ago… Sure, he could break into the holding area down below and slit his cotton-pickin’ throat…

‘So, I was a Captain… Tools, you call these tools?’ The Wolverine thought before Logan released the claws in his left hand. ‘Dammit, I should have walked out and done things my way… More pain than any man could survive? What the fuck?’

“What we were looking for in Africa…” Logan began to search his memory and couldn’t come up with an answer. “So that’s where the name came from… Volunteer!”

The animal broke free and came forward in Logan’s mind. He howled as he watched the bonding process… He felt the burning pain all over again, surging through his body. He cried out in pain like he’d never felt before, and really, he hadn’t because he couldn’t remember the previous time. His head hurt the most but Logan tried to steel his pain until he could make it through the movie. As he kept going with the distraction if the film he felt the pains subside.

“Smooth move ex-lax…” Logan spoke as he watched himself destroy the small bathroom. “Fuck, they didn’t have to die like that.”

He considered trying to go back and buy the property the couple was incinerated on. He took some satisfaction in killing Agent Zero.

“What the fuck! Hunting mutants?”

‘Victor was with Stryker,’ the animal couldn’t believe it… Then the man realized that he had been played and he had fallen right into the trap they had set for him. Reality sucked…

“Wait, what fuckin’ deal?!? So that’s when I met that Cajun rat…”

Logan sat on the couch now feeling quite numb. So many things in his life had gone wrong… God he hated flying…

‘So that’s where Scooter came from…’

“What the hell!?!?!?!” Logan screamed as he saw Kayla again…

Hearing Kayla scream made him go back and take Victor down. He should have killed him then he realized but at the time Victor was the only family he had. The problem was that he continued to see the good in Victor. No, he wasn’t the animal… Victor was.

“Finally Stryker shut him up… Hah! I did rescue One Eye’s ass first…”

He was quite shocked when Victor actually came to help destroy what he had helped Stryker and his team create.

“Fuck yeah!” Logan yelled as he watched Deadpool die at the end of his claws.

Logan tried to be the bigger man and helped Victor up from where Deadpool had him pinned. He told him that they were through and Victor told him that brothers look out for each other. He had to smirk at that. Victor hadn’t looked out for him, he’d created more problems for him, like he’d tried to kill the woman he loved… Again. His lips tingled when he saw the actor representing him kiss Kayla for the last time. It wasn’t as good as Marie’s kisses though. And then it happened and Logan saw how he lost the woman he loved, his memory, and how he got his name. Remy had confirmed what his tags had said. His heart wrenched as he saw Kayla for the last time. He should have buried her but there was no time.

“Fuck, you gotta be shittin’ me. Deadpool is alive and he can talk?”

The Wolverine and the man had finally seen a major part of his history and his pains suddenly came roaring back as the floodgates of his mind opened up. He felt dizzy and his head hurt tremendously. And just as Lily predicted… Logan experienced his catastrophe… All the guilt and emotional pain hit him hard and he experienced his own nervous breakdown. It was too much for his mind to handle and he literally went mad in his head. Nothing was working right, especially with his healing. He mentally cried out for help as the beer bottle fell from his hand and he blacked out before he fell to the floor. Memories with Kayla flashed by along with memories of his childhood before the death of both his fathers mixed with his life on the road and memories of Marie… The really dangerous thing is that he still hadn’t seen his whole history, yet…


Headmaster’s Office
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
5:00 P.M.

After his meeting with Logan over the situation with Marie, Charles thought it best to keep an open mind, slightly focused in to the stressed man’s thoughts. He was filling out a form faxed from the Disney people to help plan the activities for the wedding party. Jubilee and Ororo had done their parts and it was his turn to add anything he thought might be a good activity. He was signing his name to the form when he suddenly heard Logan cry out for help. Charles picked up the phone and called Hank in the Med Lab with instructions to get a heavy sedative like they gave Sabretooth; to also bring a gurney out to the Boat House. It was a matter of a few minutes and Hank arrived with Moira to take care of Logan. Charles went right away to the infirmary and began to prep the machines Hank would need like the brain electricity monitors, and heart rate monitors.

Soon, Hank returned with Logan on the gurney; Moira followed with Hank’s bag and holding the saline bag of fluids. Then both went to work hooking him up to get very important vitals to find out why Logan wasn’t recovering as fast as they assumed that he should be. The alcohol should have already been processed and he should be knitting things back together… But something wasn’t right. His breathing was very shallow and he was still unconscious. Charles wondered if his mind was so damaged that it might be causing his healing factor to go haywire. He tried to stay out of Hank and Moira’s way as he grabbed a chair by the doorway.

“I don’t know what is happening, Charles. His breathing shouldn’t be this low. I have his blood samples and I am about to analyze them. Moira will be around to monitor his vital information.”

“Good. I don’t want Marie to be told anything for a few days. I must try to get into that thick skull of his and see if I can repair the damage. He sounded so frightened when he cried out for help.”

“I am surprised that he called out for help,” Hank said as he looked at Xavier.

“I don’t know what happened and you’re right, if he called for help he must have been truly frightened.”


Caldicott-Howlett Apartment
Thornwood, NY.
11:00 A.M.

Marie took in Logan’s words… But she was numb. She didn’t feel anything other than depression. She was so tired. She waited until she heard the front door slam before she came out of the bathroom again. There was a clear path to the welcoming bed. Totally forgotten was calling off her wedding and hurting the man she loved. Marie climbed back in to bed as a sudden wave of hormones hit and she began to cry for apparently no reason. There were plenty of reasons but she didn’t recognize any of them, like grieving the loss of her parents, her fiancé, and her life as she knew it. She cried herself to slumber away the pain…


Jubilee pulled up in her little lemon yellow smart car about 5:00 in the early evening. She’d been trying to reach her Roguey to girl talk for a while and her cell phone must have been off because it kept going into voice mail… And Jubilee was not to be avoided this pregnant. She waddled up to the door and began to knock. Then she incessantly began to knock when Marie wasn’t up and answering the door. Her persistent banging on the door wasn’t working. She harrumphed and pulled out her little B & E kit from her purse. In seconds, she was inside the living room.

“Roguey, where are you?”

From the living room, she found the bathroom, and then she found the master bedroom where Marie was sleeping away. Jubilee stood at Logan’s side of the bed and turned on the light before she carefully sat down on the bed. Her best friend was facing her with her eyes closed.

“Chica, you gotta wake up. I need you right now. I can’t just girl talk with myself, ya know.”

Marie didn’t open her eyes as she actually growled at Jubilee. But the yellow wonder was not to be ignored.

“Come on Marie, you gotta wake up.”

She finally opened her eyes and Jubilee sighed.

“I don’t like seeing you like this, chica. You gotta get up and get over this so we can go shopping. That always makes you feel better.”

“No Jubes, I don’t gotta wake up. No Jubes, you like to go shopping because it makes you feel better,” Marie said and closed her eyes.

“But Roguey…”

“Get out Jubes, just get out,” Jubilee knew that she was isolating herself on purpose.

She knew that if she gave up, Marie would spiral downward again. She’d heard about her attempt at suicide and partially blamed herself. If she had been there more for her after she’d been released from the infirmary, maybe Marie wouldn’t have tried to kill herself. It was a ridiculous idea that she could have stopped her best friend, but she still felt the guilt.

“No Marie, I won’t. I love you too much. I don’t want to lose my best friend,” she emotionally voiced.

Jubilee decided to try a different tactic she learned when the Professor helped her get over the loss of her parents. She needed to get Marie to tell her things she did with her parents and focus a little bit on the memories of her past.

“Tell me something good about your mother, chica.”


Marie growled and groaned as she opened her eyes. She rolled over and Jubilee kept her from pulling the covers over her head. She really didn’t want to do this with Jubes but she knew how she could be. She was right up there with Logan in the annoying category. If she was going to do this, she decided she needed some food. And then her stomach confirmed this need as a rowdy growl came from her abdomen.

“Damn girl, when did you last eat?”

“Ah don’t know. Logan tried but ah wasn’t in the mood to eat.”

“Well, I think I’m gonna order us a couple pizzas and we’re gonna talk a while.”

“Feed meh and ah will try to give it my best,” she moaned.

“’Kay, what d’ya think you want on it?”

“Ah don’t care, you know what ah lahk.”

Jubilee whipped out her phone and started callin’ the nearest pizza place after calling 411. Marie got up and looked herself in the mirror on her dresser. Her reflection didn’t shock her into action like it should have after not showering in a few days. She kept staring at herself and didn’t notice when Jubilee’s face appeared on her shoulder.

“Go hit the shower, missy. You stink, chica.”

Marie couldn’t respond; that would require energy; showering now meant energy was a necessity. She just stood there and then she felt Jubilee pushing her towards the bathroom. She marched her right into the beautiful room. Turquoise and white tiles lined the walls while black slate lined the shower walls. The bench in the shower had the same slate tiles and a large glass door stood in front of Marie.

“You need help gettin’ nekkid,” Jubilee asked her.

She sighed, “No, ah got it. Ah got it.”

“’Kay, I’m gonna go wait for the pizza, when I come back, I want you clean and dressed.”

“Yes, mother hen,” Marie’s sarcasm came out.

Then she had a vision of her dead mother and she shivered.

“I’m not one yet… Now go get busy, march!” Jubilee teased.

Marie rolled her eyes as she started to pull up on her shirt.


Jubilee paid for the pizza about fifteen minutes later. She set things up in the dining room with plates, glasses, and silverware. Then she went back into the bedroom. Marie was in the closet looking for something to wear. She stood there in a white towel fingering her clothing, seemingly unsure of what to put on. She sighed, put her head down, and gave up.

“Have a seat Roguey, I’ll find something,” she said and led Marie to sit on the bed.

Ten minutes later, Jubilee had her dressed in a pair of white shorts and an eggplant purple tank top. Then she led her into the dining room, marching the poor soul of her best friend in to the food she promised. The pizza stayed warm inside the boxes. She served up Marie a slice from each box and did the same for herself.

“Now, take a bite and then tell me some good things you remember about your mom.”

Jubilee watched her friend look at the food a couple minutes as if it would move on its own. Then Marie finally picked a piece up and dove into it before Jubilee would have to ask if she needed help eating as well.


“Ah can’t. It hurts too much.” The only thing that Marie felt looking back over her memories was loneliness…

“How about something about your dad?”

“Um… Ah don’t have very many good ones of him. Ah remember him as a racist prick. He always had some kind of comment about people who were different than we were. But then ah became a mutant and then ah was different. So ah had to leave because he didn’t want a ‘Mutie’ under his roof.”

“I’m sorry for you, but I’m not sorry for him. Him forcing you out brought you to Logan who brought you to me.”

Marie’s head suddenly hurt. Logan… What had she done to Logan? She remembered what she’d tried to forget by trying to sleep the morning away. The headache was growing by the second.

“Mah head hurts. Ah should go lay down until it goes away.”

“No Marie. I’m not gonna let ya,” she said as she popped out a bottle of Tylenol out of her purse. “Take one and keep eating your lunch. You need to keep your strength up. I ain’t gonna let you waste away until there’s nothin’ left to stuff into your wedding dress we carefully picked out.”

“Ah don’t need a wedding dress.”

“Yes you do, you’re gettin’ married.”

“Not anymore.”

“WHAT?”

“Ah called off the wedding,” Marie said and shied away from Jubilee; waiting for the incoming verbal attack.

“You WHAT? Oh no… Hell no, you’re not callin’ off this wedding, chica dear. I forbid it. No, you can’t walk away. Now what is your good excuse for calling off what could possibly be the best wedding of all time,” Jubilee wanted to know as she tapped her foot on the hardwood floor.

“Logan lied to meh and made meh go see mah parents when ah was perfectly happy without them. He went behind mah back and contacted them. Then he forced meh to go see them.”

“I don’t understand… What could be so bad about Logan taking you to see your parents again? Was it because you were doin’ the, ‘Outta sight outta mind’ thing?”

“Ah didn’t wanna go and he had to get his way. You know how Logan gets. Ah had an argument with mah daddy. The last tahm we spoke. Both of them were against meh hitchin’ up with Logan. They wanted meh ta find some good lookin’ non-mutant boy and get married. Mah mama started to come around when ah shared with her some of our past together. She actually gave meh her blessin’ before we left. Ah-course we had-ta leave in a hurry because Logan had words with mah daddy. Ah think he hit him…”

“Okay, yeah ah do, but I still don’t see a reason to call off the wedding. So Logan wanted your parents’ blessing… You can’t blame him. He’s probably going on some repressed to his subconscious, old fashioned notion of courtship. Sounds to me like he wanted to do something special and do it right for you. After all you’re only getting married once. So what if he lied to you. We all lie from time to time. I’m sure he didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“But… What if he keeps lyin’ to meh about bigger things? Or starts lyin’ to meh because he doesn’t want meh to know things? Ah don’t want to keep secrets… It always ends badly…”


As Marie was sharing with her, Jubilee got a call from the Professor on the Brain Phone.

‘Where are you Jubilee?’

‘Here with Marie… Why? What’s up?’

‘Logan has taken ill. Do not alarm Marie, but you need to return to the mansion as soon as possible.’

‘We’ll be there with bells on. Give me a few minutes to pack Rogue up.’


“Roguey, sometimes it is better that you don’t know some things. Knowing the truth sometimes doesn’t make things any better.”

Jubilee went for her third piece of pizza as she figured out how to get her back to the mansion.

“Chica, there are times when I have to lie to you to protect you, but now is not one of those times. The Professor called me, just a minute ago. I don’t want to alarm you however; I am going to tell you the truth. Logan has taken ill and the Professor needs you to return to the mansion as soon as I can get us there.

“What?” Marie voiced as if she didn’t believe her.

“We have to go for a drive,” Jubilee simplified.

“What’s wrong with Logan?”

“I don’t know, the Professor said he’d taken ill.”

“But Logan doesn’t just get sick. Ah’ll put the food away and meet you at your car.”

“I know. I’ll drive,” Jubilee stood and took her third piece of pizza with her. No sense in leaving it behind.

She waddled out the front door and got into her tiny smart car to wait for Marie. She was along in a few minutes and soon they were flying back to the mansion.


Infirmary
Level 3 Underground
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
5:30 P.M.

Jubilee walked with Marie down the hall from the elevator to the infirmary. She made her wait there in the hall while she went in to the first infirmary Bay to check on how things were.

“I got Marie here,” she told Hank who was looking over Logan’s latest vitals at his desk. “What’s up, Doc?”

“Logan has experienced what we call a nervous breakdown, or as close as he can get to one with his kind of healing factor. Charles is working with him now to try and bring him back.”

“What triggered it?”

“I don’t have any idea, but when Charles is done, I am sure he is going to need to see Marie and get some rest.”

“Well I found out that Marie tried to call off the wedding of the universe.”

“She WHAT?” He spoke a little too loudly. Fortunately, Xavier was across the hall in infirmary bay 2.

“SHHH! Use your inside voice, Furby,”Jubilee loudly whispered. “Anyway, yeah, I was working on Marie to change her mind when the Professor called me on the Brain Phone.”

“You must get her to change her mind. We have all worked too hard to let this all fall apart now.”

“I know. Can Marie see Logan?”

“I don’t see why not. Try not to let her get him too excited. He needs to rest. Charles is doing his best, but the mind needs time to heal.”


Marie stood out in the hall, just shivering. She didn’t know if it was from the coldness of the air in the hallway or if she was frightened of what Jubilee found out. She began to pace the floor… She just couldn’t wait for Jubilee. The silence in the hall became so quiet to the point that she could only hear her heart beating in her chest. She went into the second infirmary bay and got a shock that made her gasp. Logan was laid out, his chest bare and hooked up to various monitors. The Professor was sitting in a chair at his head. He had his hands at Logan’s temples and he seemed to be in meditation with him. She pulled up another chair at her lover’s feet. She felt like it was inappropriate to be so intimate and sit beside him. She just wasn’t ready for that.

“Glad to have you back Marie,” Charles softly spoke to her.

“What happened? Why is he like this?” Her voice low, just above a whisper.

“We must talk but not in here. Let’s go somewhere private,” he said as he came to her and gently took her arm into his.

“There you are Roguey! I thought you had second thoughts and bolted,” Jubilee declared when they came out of the room.

“Jubilee, would you please go upstairs and go make some tea,” Charles asked.

“Yeah sure, just make sure she don’t run again. These pregnant legs can’t keep up.”

Xavier smirked. “I will be glad to make sure that she doesn’t.”

Marie was glad when she left. They stood in the hall with her arms wrapped around her body and he told her everything he knew. Logan had come to him about calling off the wedding and what he went through as he watched the rest of the movie. She couldn’t believe the betrayal of Logan going behind her back. Despite the problems they’d had while watching what they’d seen of the movie, Marie had decided that she was going to give Logan another shot at watching the rest of it. Even though it might have meant more physical harm came to her. She wondered if she would have welcomed the pain if it would have helped her in the grieving process. It might have even helped to take some of her pain away. With what Charles told her, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to strangle Logan or kiss him silly.

Logan had watched the rest of the movie to not only get back at her but to also protect her from more pain. He finally got over the hurdle of not knowing how he became who he was. He had done this to himself. But she saw that he had been lead into a trap that she wasn’t so sure he would have gotten out of without some kind of injury. Logan had issues with what happened after the last time they had watched the movie. He had a gut feeling that he’d attacked Marie even though she had tried to erase the memories from his mind, he just knew… So he tried to protect her. Charles told her that in the session he’d just had with the Wolverine; he was concerned that history was going to repeat itself. That the Trickster (Victor) would try to keep him from the Moon Lover (Marie) and that he would never get to see her again. He worried that he’d never get to see her again because she couldn’t deal with what he’d done in his past. That she’d think he was a monster.

Charles told Marie that he’d helped him to realize that Marie had already seen the movie and she was alright with it. She still was hung up on the fact that he’d done it without her and that she was right, it had been dangerous for him. It caused his brain to go all haywire and now he was not healing right.

“Ah can’t deal with this… It’s too much. Ah need time to put mah lahf back together before ah can deal with this.”

“Marie, I know this is a difficult situation. I know you never expected to lose your parents, to have a nervous breakdown, or to see Logan like this. He did something so imbecilic by watching the rest of that movie alone. We both agree whole-heartedly on that… I warned him not to do something hastily until you were feeling better.”

“We both know Logan does what he wants…”

“Sadly very true, however, you have to be the bigger person here Marie. I know he lied to you and kept things hidden from you. If I were you, I wouldn’t foster this grudge you have against him. It will only breed more contempt, further driving a wedge between you. You both have been through too much to throw it all away now.”

Charles was giving her sound advice and she seemed to take it in, but there was still disconnection between her ‘give a damn’ button and her feelings button. The more she thought about her decision to run away to Thornwood; turned out it wasn’t such a good idea. Staying in bed would have only bred more depression and grief. She needed to be with her friends. They could keep her so busy that she wouldn’t have to feel the loss. After all, wasn’t that what most people did, they threw themselves into their work or activities to avoid the pain. Misdirection was the key…

“Alraht, ah’ll stay. And ah want to take up mah full schedule again.”

“Are you sure, Marie? Take your time…”

“No, ah realize now ah need to go back to teachin’. Ah need to get mah mahnd back on the kids. Ah can continue grievin’ later. Ah need something to distract meh so ah can take one day at a tahm.”

“How about we do this slowly? I will give you back one class a week, unless you let me know you need more. I may your help getting through to Logan. He is resting now and I should as well. Tomorrow, I will come down and have another session with him.”

“Ah can’t promise much. Ah am still hurt here.”

“But that’s a selfish choice, Marie. You could choose to forgive him and move on, or continue on the path of anger. Continue lashing out at him or try to find room in your heart that you shut him out of; and filled with pain and anger. Love is the greatest gift, Marie,” Xavier spoke and then gave her a hug. “It is good to have you back.”

“Thanks. Ah’m gonna stay down here a while with him before ah go to bed.”

“Don’t tax yourself too much. You must keep your strength up… I can’t afford to have you and Logan out of commission. My brain is only so big,” he joked.

“Thanks a lot.”

“If I don’t see you later, good night and sweet dreams, Marie.”

“Good night, Professor,” she spoke just above a whisper.


Headmaster’s Office
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
6:30 P.M.

Xavier called a meeting just before the staff was to head in to dinner in the dining hall. There were some important issues to be addressed.

“It has come to my attention that Marie has called off the wedding. We will not allow her to do this. We will all keep up our efforts to pull this wedding off. I am sure we will all try to get her to reconsider her grievous error. This is my final word on that subject. Now, Logan is still on the injured list and could quite be for some time. I have already begun to work with him to restore his mind.”

“What happened?” Ororo asked as she took up a seat on a padded chair near his desk.

“It appears that Logan suffered a nervous breakdown. I know it seems impossible for someone like Logan to have one, but it is possible. As a result, he is not healing as fast as he should be.”

“What triggered it?” Jubilee queried as she sat across from Ororo in the other padded chair.

“It would appear that he watched the rest of the movie he and Marie had been slowly watching together. I believe it triggered the memory center of his brain.”

“Don’t forget the emotional part of his brain as well, Charles,” Hank spoke up. Moira had stayed below to monitor Logan’s condition.

“Yes. I have started sessions with him, but I am not one-hundred percent certain how he will react when he awakens.”

“Should the X-Men be on alert,” Bobby inquired.

“I don’t believe that will be necessary at this junction. We must still be cautious until I have worked more with him. I need someone who isn’t Jubilee to volunteer to take Marie something to eat for dinner. She must keep her strength up.”

“Hey, wait a minute…” Jubilee protested and Ororo volunteered.

“As for Marie, she has agreed to come back to teaching; however I have her on a limited schedule for this next week. If she decides she is ready to come back full term, then I will have to discuss it with her.”

“It sounds like she is over the worst of the grieving process,” Kitty spoke.

“Oh no, she could very well relapse into another level she has come through,” Hank interjected from the medical perspective.

“He is right, I don’t want to treat her with kid gloves, but I would advise not to bring up the loss of her parents or her grieving methods. I want this time to transition as smoothly as possible. I wouldn’t even mention the cancellation of the wedding. I want her to change her mind on her own… You hear me, Jubilee?”

“Yes, sir.”

“She wants to busy herself to keep her mind on the children instead of her pain. I am not so sure that is a good plan, but I will support Marie any way I can. Now, let’s go eat.”

“I second and third the notion since I’m eating for two,” Jubilee joked.


Infirmary
Level 3 Underground
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
8:30 P.M.

Ororo brought down a tray of food for her and checked on her. She offered a hug which Marie gratefully accepted. Neither female spoke of the wedding or the tragedies that had befallen the love birds. Hank set her up a bed next to Logan in case he woke during the night. It felt so surreal that she was there with him when not so long ago she didn’t want anything to do with Logan. Marie had let the sandwich sit for a bit before she decided she was hungry enough. It wasn’t much, just peanut butter and strawberry preserves on white bread. Ororo hadn’t forgotten the milk. It was one of Marie’s favorite meals ever. She ate and then curled up in the bed Hank left for her; shoes on the floor by the wheels. She covered up with a white thermal blanket. Marie fell asleep with her hand tucked in under her head and her elbow tucked closer to her frame. She’d been through so much and she was exhausted.


Infirmary
Level 3 Underground
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
6:30 A.M.

Marie slowly opened her eyes to the sound of the blood pressure cuff filling again. She hoped that the nightmare that she’d gone to sleep in wasn’t really true. However when she sat up and looked over at the other bed… Nope, she was still in the nightmare. Logan was still unconscious on the bed next to her. She could see his breath slightly fogging up the plastic cup of the oxygen mask and wondered how much longer it would take for him to heal. Marie threw her legs over the side and her feet hit the cold floor. She quickly slipped on her ballet flats to warm her feet back up. Out of the blue, the doors opened and the Professor walked in and to Marie.

“Good morning, Marie.”

“Ah was hopin’ it would be… Ah was hopin’ ah would wake up and he’d be awake watchin’ meh sleep over here.”

“Have faith. I came to have another session before breakfast. I want you to go on up, freshen up, and eat some. Then we can trade off.”

“Ah don’t wanna leave him,” she protested.

He looked at her oddly like she’d grown a second head…

“Have your feelings toward Logan changed?” Charles asked to gauge where her feelings leaned.

“Ah don’t know. Ah guess. Ah can’t be angry at him when he’s hurt lahk this. Ah was when he touched meh before and ended up in here. Then ah knew he’d be okay ‘cause he heals right away during those tahms. But this tahm, he’s not healin’ and it scares meh.”

“It will be okay, Marie. I’m doing my best.”

Marie knew that he was doing as he said he would. She wouldn’t expect anything less from him. If anyone, he was their best shot at bringing Logan back. Her trust was hard won, but once you had it, it was permanent unless you did something to make her doubt you. She trusted Charles, Hank, and Moira to do their best to heal Logan. Her stomach growled and she figured it was best to go on upstairs and do as the Professor wanted.


Charles moved to the head of the hospital bed once Marie left and placed his hands on Logan’s head. He closed his eyes and felt the rush of air as he entered Logan’s mind. Suddenly he stood in a forest of trees on a sunny day though much of the sun was blocked by the canopy overhead. There were fallen dead trees, decaying under moss and shade. This was a peaceful place, where he would meet his friend.

“Logan?” He called out. “Logan, I’ve come to talk.”

There was a soft breeze blowing making the growth of the trees rustle and a few birds making some noise. No sign of Logan anywhere. He looked up into the canopy and took a deep breath to center himself. He began to walk around and admire the view. Then Charles spotted Logan leaning up against a tree about 50 yards ahead of him. He was sitting on the forest floor with his legs crossed and out in front of him. He looked pensive.

“Good morning, Logan.”

“How do you know what kind of fucking day it is,” Logan asked as he snapped.

‘Ah, the Wolverine is awake,’ Charles thought.

“You’re right, Wolverine… I don’t know what kind of day it is. I have hopes that it will turn out for good.”

That earned him a snort. Logan seemed satisfied with that answer.

“As much as I would like to stay here and chat with you, I need to speak with Logan, the man.”

“He’s too damaged; a weakling. Marie tore his heart out calling off the weddin’ and then we discovered the truth of how we got to be this way. I ain’t sorry I killed Stryker, ya know. Fuckin’ bastard deserved what he got. Although, I felt he should have suffered more at the end of my claws, but that wasn’t possible,” he growled.

“I know; that is why I have come. I am here to help him find his way back.”

“Marie doesn’t want us… We were only trying to do something good for her.”

“That is precisely the reason why I need to see Logan. Marie has changed her views towards Logan. She is worried about the man because he hasn’t healed.”


The Wolverine seemed to take in this information and began to process it. Was it safe to let the man forward? Had she finally gotten past her grief? The animal decided that it was worth a shot. He suddenly ran off into the forest and was soon a memory… But then from behind Xavier, Logan appeared.

“Chuck…”

“Logan. It’s good to see you.”

“What did you wanna talk about?”

“Marie…”

“What’s wrong?” Charles sensed the man was abruptly suspicious.

“There is nothing wrong, with her health, per se. She’s come back to the mansion. Jubilee brought her back yesterday. She seems to have changed her position on how she feels about you.”

“Really?”

“She doesn’t want me. I’m no good for her. I did this to myself…” He spoke as he popped the claws in frustration.

“Logan, as I spoke to you yesterday, Marie isn’t ignorant… She knows what happened to you. She knows that it really wasn’t your fault. The trap had been set; there was no way out, Logan. She has seen the film and she is okay with your past. It’s time you should move beyond it, as well.”

“Chuck, it ain’t that easy. I should have smelled the lies. I should have walked away. I should have listened to my instincts…”

“I’m going to break a confidence here because I believe it is necessary. Marie doesn’t look at it the same way you do. She feels that with all that you’ve been through, it only brought you one step closer to her. You may think that you’re a total screw up and think you’re going three steps backward, but she thinks you’re making more steps towards her.”

“Yeah? When did she say that?”

“When she first saw the film, Logan. It wasn’t easy for her to deal with the news at first, but then she grew beyond it and grew to love you more.”

“I ain’t heard any of this from her…”

“Logan, sense me. You know I wouldn’t lie to you unless it was necessary, and you know I am telling you the absolute truth now.”


He had to hand it to the old man, younger than him of course. He couldn’t sense a lie coming from him. The man knew how dangerous it was to lie to him. Something inside him still made him feel like there was more history that was hidden. Maybe this wasn’t the only movie he would have to watch…? Maybe there would be more that he would have to face…? Could he trust Xavier and Marie with his future? They had lied to him and kept this film from him for how long? What else could they be keeping from him? He had never stopped loving Marie through this whole disaster… But now his trust faltered just a few notches.

“What do I have to do?”

“For once, you must listen to me. Don’t push her on the wedding or her grieving process. She wants to return to work… I know it is just to bury her feelings by working. It is a good distraction; however, don’t be too disturbed if she cries herself to sleep at night when the day is over. She will feel alone, lonely, but not as depressed as she was before.”

“I want to just take it all away if I could. I don’t deserve her, Chuck.”

“That is a choice, Logan. Don’t selfishly choose to put yourself down. She is on the upward turn in the grieving process and Marie will need you more. She is starting to adjust to this new life without her parents. She will try to make her life calmer and more organized by teaching here at the school for the children, some of which have no parents. Her physical symptoms will lessen and the depression will begin to lift slightly as she moves on.”

“She won’t let me be there for her…” He protested his hands in the back pockets of his jeans; his down and pensive.

“Logan, sometimes being there means staying in the shadows waiting for her to lean on you. Just tell her you love her and that you are available if she needs you.”

“How long have I been like this?”

“Too long if you ask me. Hank is baffled why you haven’t recovered as quickly assumed you would. You usually recover in a few hours… He has been running several tests. Marie spent the night next to you. I sent her up to get changed and to eat.”

“Good. I couldn’t get her to eat when I went home,” he had hoped again that Marie was recovering.


Charles stood and dusted off his light gray suit. It was time to bring Logan back. He put his hand on Logan’s shoulder.

“You must concentrate and put the memories of your past away. Not to be totally forgotten; somewhere you can reach them; so that you might be able to preserve your future. Your future is in Marie…” Then he let his shoulder go. “You know how to do what you have to. I will be waiting for you when you have finished.”

Then Xavier disappeared but not totally out of Logan’s mind…


Communications Office
First Floor
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
8:00 A.M.

Jubilee had grabbed a cup of coffee and was starting to feel peckish when Marie appeared with a tray filled with two plates of breakfast. One piled high with food the other not so much. She waved her in as the phone rang. She hit the answer button on her headset.

“Xavier’s School for Gifted Students, how may I direct your call?”

“Hello, ah’m callin’ from the Davis Family Mortuary for an Anna Marie Caldicott. Is she available?”

“Please hold,” Jubilee spoke before she pushed the hold button. “Marie, it’s for you. It’s a mortuary. Want me to take a message?”

“No, Jubes. I have to do this…” Marie said and held out her hand for the headset. “You go eat.”

“’Kay, chica, but I will be here if you need me.”


“Thanks,” she put on the headset and took it off hold. “This is Marie Caldicott.”

“Yes, Miss Caldicott, this is the Davis Family Mortuary of Meridian, Mississippi. We are calling to inform you that your dearly departed parents have been released to us from the Coroner’s Office, since the case has been closed. They claimed that there was no one to call. We got your name from a Miss Sophie Brown. We couldn’t release them to her ‘cause she isn’t family, you understand.”

“Oh. Um… What is it that ya’ll want?”

“Well, do you have any arrangements in mind for your dearly departed parents?”

“No, ah don’t. Ah hadn’t thought about it yet.”

“Did your parents pre-make any arrangements?”

“Ah have no idea about that. Ah have been estranged from mah parents for years.”

“Ah’m sorry to hear that. Well please call us and ask for Jackie if you change your mahnd.”

“Ah’m sure,” Marie said before she hung up; sighed.


As painful as the phone call was, she didn’t totally fall apart. She wondered if that was a sign that she was getting stronger; that life was moving on.

“Chica, you okay?”

“Yeah, Jubes. Ah’m gettin’ there.”

“What did she want anyways?”

“They have mah parents. She said the case was closed. Ah don’t even know who their lawyers were to find out about the wills and stuff.”

The universe must have been listening because the phone rang again…

“Xavier’s School for Gifted Students, how may I direct your call?”

“Yes, I am calling from Borden, Cross, and Sheppard. Mah name is Alexander Sheppard. Ah’m calling to locate a Miss Anna Marie Caldicott.”

“Oh…” Marie was surprised. “Yes, this is Marie.”

“Good morning, ah was the lawyer for your parents. Ah offer mah deepest condolences to you in your tahm of loss.”

“Ah assume you’re callin’ about the wills?”

“Yes. They are due to be read and executed tomorrow. Will you be available?”

“No, ah won’t. Ah live in New York. Ah can be there on Friday. Ah will have to fly down,” Marie figured that she was going to have to go on back home and wrap things up. Maybe the Professor would allow her to fly down in the Blackbird.

“Alraht. May ah pick you up at the airport?”

“No, no, ah will have a rental.”

“Good, good. Ah look forward to meeting you Miss Caldicott.”

“Yeah, bye.”


Infirmary
Level 3 Underground
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
7:45 A.M.

Charles waited for Logan on the outskirts of the man’s mind. Then the two men walked through a fog bank into Logan’s conscious mind. Xavier moved from Logan’s head and down to his side. He turned to face the man in the bed just in time before his eyes opened.

“Welcome back, Logan.”

“Thanks.”

“Hank is on his way,” Charles spoke after contacting the blue doctor through the Brain Phone.

“I’m good,” Logan said as he tried to sit up, leaned back on his elbows.

“No, Logan. Stay… For Marie.”

“Well, when you put it that way…” Shortly after, Hank came back into the room.

“Good to have you back, Logan. I’ll try to make this quick.”

“Thanks, Doc. I’m starvin’ and I could eat you for breakfast if you take too long,” Logan teased.

“I am inclined to believe you,” Hank smiled.


Hank released Logan in fifteen minutes. Of course, he couldn’t find anything wrong. It seemed to be just an anomaly; one they would surely mark down for posterity. All three men just agreed to call it ‘Over Stress.’ Logan went to the X-Men locker room, took his shower there, and changed his clothing before he went above to be fed. He grabbed some breakfast on the fly from the small kitchen and went off in search of Marie.


Beginning Art
First Floor Classrooms
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
8:30 A.M

Marie went into her classroom to get back to teaching. She had no clue what she was going to teach, but she knew how to wing it if necessary. Fortunately, her lesson book was on her desk. The students stared at her as she crossed the room.

“Welcome back, Miss Rogue,” Little Miss Julia Galleo spoke; she was almost 6 and could snap her fingers to clean her room with telekinesis also had a gift for drawing. She wasn’t as strong as Jean, but she practically practiced both gifts every day.

“Thank you Julia,” Marie sat down in her chair.

She flipped open her book and they were supposed to be studying how to draw still life. She so didn’t feel like teaching that today; not after getting those two phone calls.

“Hey everybody, ah know we’re supposed to be doin’ our still life drawings today but ah decided to do somethin’ different today. Today, ah want us to draw somethin’ that made or makes you sad now.”

The students began to pull out supplies from around the room and went to their easels to begin. Marie decided to join them and she began to sketch on the large pad sitting on her full size easel. She began to sketch what her pain looked like. As she stood there, she felt like two eyes were boring into her back. She dismissed it as the children behind her. She had no idea that it was Logan outside her classroom…

Logan spotted Marie in her classroom, her back to the door, and decided not to bother her. Xavier gave him another day off to take it easy since he’d just gotten out of the infirmary. He felt fine and wanted to get back to teaching his full schedule. However, just looking at Marie through the small glass pane, he decided that maybe there was something to taking the extra time off. His mind drifted off to spending the day in bed with Marie… She was teaching so that plan went by the wayside. Maybe he could catch her for a quickie around lunch? A quickie conversation that is. He considered whisking her away to the boat house for lunch. Satisfied with that plan he went down to the gym to work out.


Headmaster’s Office
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
12:00 P.M.

Marie decided to catch the Professor before he left for lunch… She popped her head around his door.

“Do you have a minute?”

“Take as many as you need,” Charles answered her.

“May ah borrow the Blackbird? Ah have a couple errands ah need to take care of.”

“I know all about it.”

“How?”

“Jubilee has a way of projecting her thoughts to me when she’s upset. She said she thought I should know,” he said as he tapped his head.

“Oh. Well, can I?”

“Only if you allow someone to go with you. How long will you be gone?”

“Ah had planned to be back on Sunday. Is that too long?”

“Logan is up and about. I thought you might want to know.”

“Oh… If ah don’t see him, tell him ah will be back on Sunday and not to worry about meh.”

“I’d have you take Jubilee with you but she can’t fly now that she’s due soon.”

“Ah’ll ask Ororo. She can fly meh down and then come home. Ah could call and be back here by Sunday night.”

“That sounds like a decent offer, however that wastes more gas. Just take Ororo with you and I am sure she could enjoy a short break from Charlie.”

“Okay. Ah have to leave today. The lawyer wants to read the wills on Friday. Ah had thought about visiting mah cousin in Louisiana before ah hafta deal with the bodies and paperwork.”

“I see. Are you sure you don’t want to take Logan with you?”

“No, ah need to do this by mahself. Takin’ ‘Ro with meh will be better than Logan raht now. He’s too much of a distraction and ah need to focus. Ah love him but ah have too many things on mah mind to focus on him and our relationship.”

“I will inform the students at lunch that your class has been canceled for the rest of the week. Have a safe journey, Marie,” Charles stood and walked around his desk.

He wrapped an arm around Marie into a comforting half hug.

“Remember it will all work out for the best. If you need any assistance, I am a phone call away.”

“Thanks so much. There’s no way ah could repay you for everything.”

“You’re welcome.”

“One more thing. Could you steer Logan away from ‘Ro and meh until we leave? Ah don’t want him to know ah’m goin’ home.”

“I will take care of it right now. Stay here a moment,” the Professor spoke before he went to work using the Brain Phone.

He sent Logan to check the gas levels in the tanks outside of the garage. Then he informed Ororo that she was to meet Marie in the hanger as soon as possible. And no, uniforms were not necessary.

“It has been taken care of. I hope you have a good time. I know it all won’t be enjoyable, but try to have some fun.”

“Ah know ah will. The hard part will be havin’ too much fun and not wantin’ to come back.”

“Let’s hope that won’t be the case,” he smiled.

“Ah’ll try not,” Marie returned his smile.


The Garage
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
12:35 P.M.

Logan got the call from Chuck about checking the gas levels because he needed to know if he needed to order more fuel. He wanted to protest and say that he’d already checked them, but it had been a while since he’d last completed the task. Most of the vehicles were at full tanks. The school’s reserve tanks below ground were about a quarter of the way down. Xavier would only have to refill it if he thought it was necessary. Logan was checking on his bike’s gas level when he felt the ground beneath his feet shake. He knew they weren’t having an earthquake… It only meant one thing. There was a mission… He ran out of the garage to see the Blackbird get smaller and smaller as it flew through the sky. Was there a mission he hadn’t heard about? If so, who was on the expensive plane? He knew for certain that it wasn’t Jubilee because Hank had told her she was in the ‘No Fly Zone,’ with her pregnancy.

He ran into the mansion and upstairs. Marie’s closet was open and there was some clothing missing. Her duffel bag that she came to the school with all those years ago was missing as well. Marie was running? It didn’t sound right. Chuck had just gotten done telling him this morning that Marie had changed her feelings towards him… Now where had she gone? Was she even gone? Maybe she’d taken the duffel down to the laundry room. She sometimes did that, yeah that had to be it. But first he was going to go see Charles at lunch…


Dining Hall
First Floor
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
1:00 P.M.

Lunch was going on full swing when Logan arrived. He grabbed something for lunch from the buffet display Charles paid for daily. His appetite was still sorely lacking since he’d only grabbed an apple and a donut off of the small table for breakfast. Then he went to take up a seat at the Instructor’s table. Marie was missing and… Ororo was missing as well. He took up her place the table.

“Good afternoon, Wolvie,” Jubilee spoke before she gobbled up a forkful of potato salad.

“Jubes,” Logan nodded his head and turned his attention to Charles. “Where’s Marie?”

“She said to tell you not to worry and that she would return on Sunday.”

“Is she with ‘Ro?”

“Yes.”

“You gonna tell me where they went?”

“Logan, I sent Ororo to be with her. If you wish to discuss this in private, we may do so in my office after lunch.”

He growled before he took a bite out of his humongous sandwich. Fine, he’d wait, but he wasn’t going to give up the chance to give Chuck a piece of his mind.


After lunch, Logan waited until Charles left before he stood to go get rid of his dishes. When Charles made the announcement that Rogue’s classes were canceled for the rest of the week, the hairs on the back of Logan’s head stood. Something wasn’t right… Chuck left and Logan stood to go to the conveyer belt to send the dirty dishes to the large kitchen.

“Wolvie, hold up,” Jubilee spoke up.

“What Yellow, I don’t have time for a gab fest, gotta go see the Professor.”

“For this, I’m sure you have time… It’s about Marie.”

“I’m listening… What about Marie?”

“Come on. Let’s go into the small kitchen,” Jubilee said as she began to waddle away.

Logan followed her. He had learned over the years to listen to Jubilee when it came to Marie. She usually always gave him truthful insight to how his girl was feeling when Marie didn’t want to talk or was avoiding him. He put his tray of dishes on the counter and began to rinse them as Jubilee took up a seat on a stool at the kitchen counter.

“So, what’s goin’ on?”

“Marie received two upsetting phone calls this morning.”

“From who?”

“Best I could figure was the mortuary and the lawyer for her parents.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah, shit. I watched her head to see the Professor after she saw me. Then before she left, she told me not to worry about her and that she was taking ‘Ro with her.”

“She must have gone back to Meridian.”

“I don’t doubt it. I think the lawyer wanted to read the wills tomorrow, but Marie talked him into waiting until Friday.”

“That means she’ll probably go visit her cousin Sookie in Louisiana, which also means that hairy werewolf will be hangin’ around to drool on my girl. I should go down there…”

“Hold up homey, did you just say werewolf?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“No reason, Remy knows a pack down there but he doesn’t talk about ‘em much.”

“Yeah well, this one don’t seem like he’s part of a pack.”

“Just be careful. I really don’t think it would be a good idea for you to go down there right now.”

“And why not,” Logan arched his eyebrow and began to rinse off her dishes.

“Because she’s focused elsewhere, she’s not gonna have time to be gettin’ it on with you if she’s gotta bury her parents. She’s gonna be too emotional and she already blames you for gettin’ her parents killed and for makin’ her reconnect with them. Do you seriously think she wants to turn to you right now? Logan, take my advice. Stay here. Get in the danger room or something and burn off some energy. Go turn on your hotness and look good for her when she comes back. Comprende?”

Logan had to smile at Jubilee’s words. Sometimes she could be so blunt and yet give him just the right words that he needed to hear without being false.

“I don’t know what I’m gonna do… Part of me wants to go down there and spy on her, make sure that hairy wolf stays away from my girl, or should I stay here and be patient. I still need to see the Professor.”

“Wolvie, you gotta trust that Marie will keep her hands to herself. Besides, if he touches her, you know what she can do.”

“But what if it’s off?”

“Then Ororo can help her… It’s not like he’s gonna friggin’ attack her Logan.”

“You ain’t seen him… Her cousin’s got friends who are vampires, Jubes… I don’t really trust them either, even though they helped me find those fuckin’ SOB’s that killed her parents.”

“Logan, just get goin’ see the Professor and see what he says. If you don’t wanna take my advice, take his. I know you’re not a patent man Wolvie, but just try real hard for Marie. I know you can do it. Now git, I’ll fill the dishwasher.”

“Thanks, Sparky.”

“You owe me…” Jubilee said as he left the small kitchen.


Headmaster’s Office
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
2:00 P.M.

Charles had actually left the door open for Logan to come charging into his office like the whirling dervish known as the Tazmanian Devil of the cartoons. He was concerned when he didn’t rush in like he’d assumed. Still he continued with his paperwork as if he wasn’t waiting. Something must have detained Logan. Or maybe he didn’t want to discuss the situation with him. Maybe he had heeded his advice and taken a moment to consider his options? He sighed. What was he going to do if Logan did indeed come to see him and wanted to leave? Logan wasn’t a patient man, the animal more impatient. Charles didn’t want to put him back in the infirmary if he wouldn’t behave.

Just as he was pondering his options, Logan strode into his office. He didn’t look too angry, which he decided looked in his favor. His nostrils weren’t flaring so that had to be a good sign as well.

“Jubilee filled me in on what happened this morning… What I want to know is why I was not told sooner…” Logan asked.

“Logan, I have no wish to discuss the finer points of communication with you. Marie came to me and asked to borrow the Blackbird. I allowed her on the condition that she took Ororo with her. I would have sent Jubilee but she can’t fly and Kitty is busy with her class schedule.”

“Chuck, don’t be hidin’ stuff from me. If she leaves the school, I damn well want to know about it. Have you forgotten that they re-launched the Weapon X Program? I need to know where Marie is at all times. You think Storm could stop them in a fight? I highly doubt she could alone. Marie’s only a close combat fighter. If they cover up, her skin won’t do a damn bit of good, and even though I trained her, she is no match for the government. Period.”

“No, I haven’t forgotten. Remy is down in the area on business.”

“Chuck, the people running the operation are ten to twenty times worse than Stryker was. The man had a fuckin’ cult following. They made him a bloody hell martyr. Just Gambit and Storm don’t stand a chance.”

“I could call up the senior X-Men, but we don’t have as many strong players on the team as we used to, since we lost Scott and Jean. Do you want me to call the Avengers in?”

“Hell no! I don’t want Stark anywhere around Marie. He still has a thing for her and Thor, well; let’s just say he spends too much time whackin’ that hammer on his head. And I don’t mean the one on his shoulders.”

“In deed,” Charles smiled. “So what are your plans then? I can’t afford to lose another instructor, Logan. I need you here.”

“I know, I know.”

“Logan, it would take too long to drive down there just to spy on her. And what if she or Ororo caught you? You can’t afford to make that mistake, Logan. You must allow her to trust that you will not run after her.”


“I swore to protect her Chuck; I’d never forgive myself if she were taken while she was down there.”

“She needs time to focus, Logan. I know I cannot stop you if you wish to risk it, but I strongly advise you, my friend. Let her be.”

“Fine, it’s on your head if somethin’ happens to her.”

“Perhaps you should go see your sister Lily. She may be able to provide insight to what the future holds.”

Logan seemed to ponder this but he isn’t sure he wanted to go that route yet; because she didn’t provide details with her predictions. It might just make him worry himself into a frenzy and where would that get him? Perhaps Jubilee was right, maybe he should go hit the danger room?

“Look, I’ll go think it over. Maybe go have a smoke out on the roof or fight it out in the danger room…”

“I plan on checking in with them soon. Would you like me to send Marie a message?”

“Not really. Just tell her that I love her and stay safe.”

Logan lowly growled as he left Chuck’s presence. He didn’t like it one bit… No Sir, not one bit.

Bon Temps Regional Airport
Bon Temps, LA.
12:00 P.M.

Ororo received clearance through Charles to land at the Bon Temps Regional Airport. He helped to control the tower workers to not pay attention to the uber-expensive fighter jet about to land on an unused runway. Charles had also seen to the rental vehicle waiting for them once she had parked the Blackbird out of the way. The invisibility cloak was activated and the two women left the plane. The blue Honda Pilot was decent enough for driving but Marie wished he had set up something a little bigger. She missed the black Suburban she and Logan had driven around in. They were heading to redneck truck country and the vehicle they had seemed too small in comparison. Oh well, on with business… Marie had flown down right away instead of waiting so that she could go visit her cousin Sookie and be around just about the only family she had left, at least until she married Logan that is… But didn’t she call off the wedding? Crap, she would have to fix that when she got home. She hoped that Logan hadn’t taken her too seriously when she’d said what she’d said.

Fortunately, it was only going to be a few minutes more to drive out to the farmhouse. Marie had Ororo stop in at the store and stock up on supplies or anything they might need while they were there. She offered to pay for whatever Marie wanted because she wanted to help her friend feel better. She knew what it was like to lose parents but she hadn’t experienced the horror that Marie had. A little financial help was her way to keeping her ties connected to the young woman. She hoped that she wouldn’t cut her off like she had Logan. Ororo did most of the driving as well, going on Marie’s directions, of course. Marie didn’t trust herself to drive as she considered her emotions.


Sookie Stackhouse’s Residence
Bon Temps, LA.
1:00 P.M.

Ororo parked the car out in front of the old farmhouse. It did indeed need repairs as Sookie had told them when she was trying to make moves on Logan… Speaking of moves, what the hell was that sound? She heard growling, grunts, and moans coming from nearby. Marie shushed Ororo and they both snuck off in the direction of the noises. Down by the water, Sookie and Alcide were having an outdoor picnic… And getting their dessert on by the sounds of it. Marie spotted them before Alcide could scent her. She’d learned a thing or two about sneaking up on feral animals since she’d been around Logan. So, she went back to the vehicle and activated the emergency alarm on the handheld key remote. The two lovers couldn’t not hear the car alarm going off; it kept getting louder and louder as it played different chimes and chirps. Marie was just going to let it play until she got a response out of whatever was in the flora and fauna.

Suddenly, Alcide shirtless and in nothing but his cut-off jeans, came stumbling out from the bushes. He growled at first ready to attack, until he saw the dark woman with white hair and Sookie’s practically twin cousin standing against their vehicle with their arms crossed under their breasts and laughing… He got this dumb look on his face like he didn’t understand why they were there. Then Sookie Stackhouse appeared behind him in her bra as she was pulling her t-shirt back over her head. Marie just couldn’t help herself. She hadn’t had such a good laugh in a while… It even sounded good to her ears. She hoped this good mood wasn’t fleeting.

“Hiya Cuz,” she spoke and gave Sookie a hug.

“Hi… What are…” Sookie tried to ask before Marie cut her off.

“Ah came back to bury mah parents.”

“Ah was so sorry to hear ‘bout it. Anything ah can do? Where’s that man of yours?”

“Left him at home… Anyway,” Marie tried to change the subject. “This here’s Ororo Munroe. She’s a friend of mine from New York.”

“Hi, pleased to meetcha,” Sookie spoke although disappointed that Logan didn’t come but sincerely shook Ororo’s hand that she was glad to meet the weather goddess.

“Same here.”

“That big ape headed to his truck and leaving meh here’s Alcide Herveaux, ah’m Marie’s cousin, Sookie Stackhouse.”

“Ah was just gittin’ ta that…” Marie chimed in. “He’s lahk Logan, only more growly.”

“He’s actually a werewolf.”

“Wow, I didn’t know they existed,” Ororo was genuinely surprised, she thought her husband, Logan, and Victor Creed were about as feral as mutants got.

“You got room for two guests in the big house? It’s just for a few days. We’ve got to go to Meridian on Friday to the readin’ of the wills. Then after that we’ve got to head out to the mortuary and then bury them at Templestaff before we head home on Sunday.”

“No problem with meh. The guest room’s open.”

“Well, ah was thinkin’ more lahk slumber party styahl. We brought supplies…”

“Sounds lahk fun. Ah’ll have Alcide stand guard outside. We don’t need no panty raids tonaht… You’ll have to watch out for Bill and Eric… They lahk biting first and asking questions later,” she warned the two women.

“Biting? I’m spoken for,” Ororo voiced.

“Sugah, vampires don’t care if you’re hitched or not. If you’ve got blood they want, they’ll take it no matter if you’re married, straight, or gay. Although, Bill’s a little more cautious before he bites. Eric just takes what he wants. Alcide’s pretty good protectin’ meh from the biters,” she sighed. “Ah do so love bein a fur-banger though. They’re so much warmer…” Ororo looked at her oddly.

“Fur-banger?”

“She means people lahk Hank, Logan, Alcide… You know, with an abundance of hair everywhere.”

“Yeah, don’t know what a Hank is, but fur-banger refers to people who lahk to fuck weres or anything with fur. The other term we have around here is fang-banger. Those are people that get off on fuckin’ vampires.”

“Hank is my husband, a feral mutant.”

“Gee, ah guess that makes you and ah fur-bangers,” Marie laughed, Ororo smiled.

“Maybe we aughta start a club, Cuz,” Sookie laughed. “Well, let meh help you both get settled and decide what we wanna do tonight durin’ our party. Have ya’ll eaten lunch yet?”

“Sorta. We ate on the road,” Marie dug in the back of the Pilot and grabbed a couple bags of groceries before she followed Sookie.

“Well, ah’m starved since Alcide took lunch with him… Ah’ll make meh somethin’ in a sec.”

“Go ahead and fix you somethin’ Sookie, ah can settle us in. Ah remember where the guest room is.”


The Living Room
Sookie Stackhouse’s Residence
Bon Temps, LA.
8:30 P.M.

Just after sunset, Alcide Herveaux sat guard over the She-Pack inside the house. The three ladies were in their pajamas, t-shirts, and shorts sets, ready to party. Marie took up a spot in the middle of the dark colored couch. There were bowls of snacks, plenty of bottles of alcohol, and various beautifying products were spread out on the coffee table, ready for use. The question had been asked of Marie, how she was doing…

“Ah wasn’t doin’ so well in the beginning, but now… Ah’m not so sure ah’m doin’ better. Ah nearly killed mahself and then when ah got better, ah called off mah weddin’… So, ah’m not so sure ah’m all right.”

Ororo frowned before she took a sip of her small mug of tea.

“Ah think that’s a mistake Cuz, you gotta go make up with that man… He came all the way down here to take care of business for you. Ah’d even snap him up mahself if ah wasn’t already attached to Alcide.”

“Ah know ah should, ah’m just not in the mood ah guess. Ah do love Logan and all…”

“But you’re not done closing this chapter in your life. You haven’t put the book of your past away yet before opening the book of the future,” Ororo finished Marie’s sentence before she dove her Scoops chip into the salsa.

“Yeah… Maybe once ah get all this crap taken care of, maybe ah can move on with mah original life path…” Marie voiced before she picked up a dark chocolate covered pretzel and popped it in her mouth.

“What’s in your plans anyway…? Do you need me to come with ya?”

“Well, ah have to go to the mortuary and pick up mah parents. Then we have to trek over to the lawyer’s office and do the wills. Then we get to fly home and get back to our different kind of normal. Nah, you can stay here. We’ve gotta drive a little over five hours to get to Meridian. Unless you wanna help drive?”

“Ah’m sure Sam will let me have the tahm off.”

“Actually, it might not be a bad idea. We could each drive an hour and then the last two anyone can take if they feel up to it. It might fell like we’re getting there faster,” Ororo said as she grabbed a chip from the pile of nachos Sookie had made for the party.

“Then it’s settled…” Sookie spoke before she realized her glass was emptied again. “Seriously, you should go home and grovel on your knees in front of that man of yours until he takes you back; preferably with his zipper down.”

“Sookie,” Marie exclaimed in shock, although she knew her cousin was right.

“She might have a point Marie…” Ororo joked with a smile.

“Oh you two… Ah’ll think it over. Now, who’s up for paintin’ toes?”


The Kitchen
Sookie Stackhouse’s Residence
Bon Temps, LA.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
8:00 A.M.

Alcide Herveaux was up early, well up late actually since he hadn’t slept last night. He’d watched over the She-Pack asleep in the living room through the night so that fangers and weres stayed away. His sensitive hearing picked up on the conversation about driving and thought it was a bad idea to let the three women drive. One was going to be an emotional wreck, another would be hung over, and the white haired one couldn’t drive all that way on her own. Alcide decided last night after the one beer he’d had that he would do all the driving. He was sure all their chattering in the vehicle would keep him awake. He snuck into the house as quiet as he could and went to work making breakfast for the three ladies. Toast, fluffy scrambled eggs, and sausage links filled the table. Coffee would be ready in a few minutes. First one up was Sookie. She smelled the sausage and came to investigate.

“Mornin’ sugah,” she said before she gave him quick lips to lips kisses.

He growled his approval of her greeting. He turned his back to her as he began to fill a cup of coffee for Sookie and himself. He left the power button on to keep the pot warm for Sookie’s guests.

“When are you all planning on leavin’?”

“Soon. Ah should go get them up.”

“No need, we’re up,” Marie hollered from the living room.

“Holler for me when you’re ready to go. I’ll be back,” Alcide spoke before he finished his cup of coffee and headed out the door.


After the three ladies made a killing of the breakfast fare, they set about cleaning up and packing up their luggage to hit the road. When they were about to load Marie and Ororo’s vehicle, they found Alcide cat napping in the driver’s seat. He had gone out as an animal and fed on something tasty in the area to give him the boost in energy he needed. The coffee helped his human side, but the animal needed to feed sometimes three times a day. His body was processing what he’d eaten and that sometimes made him sleepy.

“Alcide, what the fuck are you doin?” Sookie laughed.

The poor man shocked himself awake. He growled.

“I’m drivin’, get in.”

“He awake enough to drive,” Marie asked her cousin.

Ororo put their bags in the back and closed the door. Then Marie shrugged and got in the back seat with her friend. Sookie climbed in and sat next to Alcide. Once they were all belted in Alcide started the engine. Soon they were on the road to Marie’s old hometown to go meet with the lawyer and get the wills read ahead of time. He would be surprised to see her since she told him she wouldn’t be able to meet with him until Friday.


Law Offices of Borden, Cross, and Sheppard.
Meridian, MS.
2:00 P.M.

Well it didn’t work out like Alcide planned. They ended up taking the driving in teams. Alcide and Sookie started out the trip. Ororo and Marie finished the drive. When they arrived in town a little before 1:30, they all agreed they needed to stop for lunch. After a half an hour lunch at a burger joint, they ended up at the law offices of Borden, Cross, and Sheppard. Marie felt a little chilled as she exited the Pilot.

“I’ll stay here,” Alcide spoke when the ladies got out.

“Ah’ll stay with him,” Sookie added.

Marie entered the law offices. Ororo held her arm for support. Behind the receptionist desk a large logo adorned the wall. To the right were a set of ornate oak double doors and to the left held another couple of sets of the same doors.

“How can ah help you?”

“Marie Caldicott to see Mister Alexander Sheppard. Thank you.”

“Wait right here. I will be back,” the woman in her mid-twenties said, most likely a Yankee by her accent.

Marie and Ororo took up two seats against the wall on the right. It wasn’t but a few minutes and she came back to retrieve Marie.

“Miss Caldicott, Mr. Sheppard will see you now but your guest will have to stay here for the reading of the wills.”

“It’s alright Marie, go, I’ll be fine. Remember, you can do this.”

“Ah know. Ah don’t know what ah’m so nervous for…”


The woman led Marie to the double doors of Alexander Sheppard. She opened one and allowed her to enter. The man was about five foot six and had a beer gut covered by a suit; plus a bad comb-over. He looked a little like Donald Trump… His mouth was even that small and made him look like a fish. Marie mentally groaned. This was not going to be a fun afternoon, she could already tell. He held up his sweaty hand for Marie to shake. Normally, if it was anyone else she might have taken it, but this wasn’t going to be one of the times she did. She felt that if she shake the man’s hand she’d come down with some deadly disease. He must have sensed her hesitation and instead pointed to the chair across from his desk.

“Ah must say, Miss Caldicott, ah wasn’t expecting you so soon.”

“Ah was able to get time off of mah work to come down here to take care of business. A friend of mahn flew meh down. Ah have to return on Sunday.”

“Ah see. Let meh see ah have the wills here somewhere,” he said as he began to push aside papers and move others on his messy desk.

Marie rolled her eyes and wondered why the hell her parents had chosen this nutcase as their lawyer. She wondered if her father had been trying to be cheap and just looked the firm up in the phonebook. Her mother probably went along with it because her father told her what to do.

“Ah, here they are. We have to record the reading of the wills. Please state your birth name for the record,” he said as she watched him hit the record button on a personal tape recorder.

“Anna Marie D’ Ancanto. Ah now go by Anna Marie Caldicott.”

“Ah’m Alexander Sheppard from the law firm of Borden, Cross, and Sheppard on this twenty-third day of the month of June. In the year of our Lord, two thousand and ten. We are here today to read the wills of one Owen D’ Ancanto and one Priscilla D’ Ancanto, recently deceased parents of Miss Anna Marie D’ Ancanto.”

Marie reached for a few Kleenex tissues from the box on the man’s desk. She wasn’t crying yet, but she wanted to be prepared.

“Ah, Owen D’ Ancanto, do hereby solemnly swear that ah am of sound mahnd and body. Ah hereby bequeath nothing to mah daughter. She’s a damned mutant. Ah leave everything ah own to mah wife. The house, mah car, mah boats, the money, everything goes to her in the event of mah death.”

She couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. She didn’t want any of his crap anyway.

“Ah am terribly sorry, that’s all there is. And don’t be alarmed… Ah don’t care if you’re a mutant. Ah was here for the beginnings of the Civil Rights. Ah marched with the King.”

Marie really didn’t give a shit. The sooner she got this over with, the better.

“And mah mama’s will?”

Mr. Sheppard picked up her will and began to read…

“Please state your birth name for the record.” Marie rolled her eyes again at the need for replication of her name.

“Anna Marie D’ Ancanto. Currently, ah go by Anna Marie Caldicott.”

“And ah’m Alexander Sheppard from the law firm of Borden, Cross, and Sheppard on this twenty-third day of the month of June. In the year of our Lord, two thousand and ten. We are here today to read the wills of one Owen D’ Ancanto and one Priscilla D’ Ancanto, recently deceased parents of Miss Anna Marie D’ Ancanto.”

Marie held those few Kleenex tissues from the box on the man’s desk in her hands. She hadn’t begun to shred them into little pieces yet.

“Ah, Priscilla D’ Ancanto, do hereby solemnly swear that ah am of sound mahnd and body. Ah hereby bequeath everything ah have to mah daughter, mah only daughter. She may be a mutant, but she’s still the only baby girl ah’m gonna have. Mah husband doesn’t know that ah have sealed mah will from bein’ read until mah daughter is present. Ah want her to have everything ah have stored in a safety deposit box in Nashville. The address will be given to you once this will has been executed. Ah put things there because your daddy wouldn’t have a clue where to look for anything if ah passed away first. Your daddy don’t have access to it; mah key is taped to the letter with the address.”

Marie was lightly dabbing the corners of her eyes as tears began to form in the corners. She realized that her mama was probably putting on a front for her daddy’s sake when she and Logan arrived for their visit. That kind of thought lessened the blows of the wills.

“May ah go on?” Marie nodded.

“Marie, ah want you to take the money ah have left you and use it however you wish to use it for your wedding or your married life. A mad money fund wouldn’t be a bad idea either. Sell what you want of mah things and keep what you want. Personally if ah was still alive, ah would have burned those damn boat models, but now ah leave them to you. Donate them to a museum if you want or burn ‘em. Put the house on the market if you don’t wish to keep it. Ah won’t hold you any promise… But ah would lahk a simple funeral. Ah’m okay if ya wanna cremate meh so you can take meh with you. Just bury your daddy at Templestaff. If ya want, bury meh with your daddy, ah can handle it. It’s up to you. Please invite mah women’s group and mah quilting club to mah service. Ah don’t want any of your daddy’s friends at his service. They weren’t really friends anyway, bastards.”

Marie had to smile, she missed her mama already. She could read between the lines of what her mother tried to say.

“We’re almost done. You can keep the car or sell it. Give it away if ya want. Logan might like to have it. Who is Logan?”

“Mah fiancé. He’s in New York.”

“Right, ah’d forgotten. Ah probably haven’t included everything ah wanted to say because Owen is waiting on meh. He’s probably listening in raht now. Ah love you, baby girl. Mom.”

“When were the wills finalized if ah may ask?”

“To mah best recollection she told meh you had recently come for a visit. Owen had quite a shiner in his eye.”

So her daddy had changed his will possibly right after they’d left. And because he had done this, her mama had gone and changed his because of what she knew her husband was up to. Her heart began to ache again. Marie watched as the man spoke, recording the finishing time of the execution of the wills and then stopped the tape. He reached down into a lower drawer of his desk and pulled out a white business length envelope with her name written on it. As her mother spoke of, there was a small safety deposit key attached to a letter with an address written in her mother’s hand.

“We are finished. Do you have any questions?”

“Did she tell you what she had in the safety deposit box?”

“No, ah’m afraid not.”

“Looks lahk ah gotta go to Nashville now and check it out.”

“Sorry ah couldn’t be more help. Ah am sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you Mister Sheppard. Ah thank you for your tahm.”

“Have a good rest of your visit.”

“Thanks.”


Davis Family Mortuary
Meridian, MS.
3:30 P.M.

Marie rested her eyes as they drove all the way to the mortuary. This wouldn’t take long she hoped. Couldn’t be any worse than the reading of the wills, could it? Ororo gently woke her when they arrived. Fortunately, they hadn’t pried into what the wills had said.

“Ah shouldn’t be long.”

She went in the building and a perky blond woman practically pounced on her; her nametag said Bree Davis. She seemed a little too up beat to be working in the death business.

“How may ah help you?”

“Ah came to see Jackie…”

“Oh, mah Aunt Jackie. Yeah, lemme go get her. You can wait in our products room over there to your raht.”

Marie wanted to make a comment, but she held her tongue. She went to the small room to her right and began to look at burial options. Casket samples lined the back wall, ceramic vases and urns were to her left, and to the right by the window were music boxes and books of program options. There was even a tiny section with jewelry. It all seemed gaudy, kitschy if you will. She didn’t want anything fancy. There wouldn’t be an open casket because… Well. What would be the point? A few minutes into staring at the things on the wall, Marie knew she wasn’t alone.

“How may ah help you? Ah’m Jackie Davis.

“Ah’m Marie Caldicott, we spoke on the phone. Ah came to make arrangements for mah parents.”

“Oh, well let meh just tell you that ah’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thanks. Can we get this over with? Ah have a long drive ahead.”

“Sure we can. Did you have anything in mind?” The woman asked as she whipped out her note pad.

“Ah was thinkin’ cheap and quick. Ah have to be back at work on Monday,” Marie sounded cold even for her ears. “Ah’m sorry. Ah don’t mean to be cold. Ah do mah grievin’ in private.”

“No problem.”


“Ah think the paper box would be fahn. Ah’m not gonna go through the expense of a casket since ah don’t have tahm for a viewing and all. Besahds, they probably don’t look all that great anyway.”

“The most we can hold bodies for is four days. Then we have to embalm them.”

“No, ah want to simply have them cremated. How long will that take?”

“Oh, a couple days. They would be ready for pick up on Friday, if that’s alraht?”

“That is actually perfect. Ah was plannin’ to have a short service on Saturday.”

“Alraht, have you decided where you would like to hold the service? We offer packages here at the mortuary.”

“Yes, ah will be holding it elsewhere,” Marie wasn’t about to tell this woman where she was going to bury her parents.

If she’d known that she was going to bury her father at Templestaff, which would imply that she had money. Just about everybody in Meridian knew about the estate and all the money that it was worth. She turned and began to look at the jewelry section.

“Ah would lahk to get mah mother’s made into a diamond. How long would that take and the cost?”

“That would take much longer ah’m afraid. Typically, that takes six to nahn months, and it can be very expensive. It all depends on the size you want.”

“All raht. Ah’ll have to get back to ya’ll on that. How much is the cremation gonna run?”

“So far, looks like twenty-fahve hundred. That’s a thousand per person and the processin’ and handling fees; that includes transportation as well.”

“Is there anythin’ else you need?”

“We can go to mah office and finish the paperwork.”


Marie followed Jackie into her office. She spent the next twenty minutes filling out forms. Fortunately, Charles had seen to sending the death certificate by messenger to the mortuary so Marie wouldn’t have to deal with the red tape at the county offices. She didn’t want any death announcements to go in the newspaper; she was already going to have to spend the next few days calling all her mother’s friends to come on Saturday. Along with packing up the things she wanted to keep… She wasn’t looking forward too much to that. She decided that putting the house on the market this weekend trip wasn’t going to happen. No, that would have to come in stages. She supposed it depended on how much they got done this weekend with Sookie and Ororo. She’d need Jubilee to help with packing but she couldn’t with being 7 months pregnant; she was the best packer Marie knew. After signing all the legal documents, Marie agreed to be back on Friday to pick up her parents.


Marie’s Old Room-Owen’s Model Boat Dock
D’Ancanto’s House
Meridian, MS.
5:00 P.M.

After the trip to the mortuary, Marie and the gang, decided to spend the night at her parents’ place. They would have gotten back to Bon Temps around ten at night. After the long day, it seemed like too much. No, they would start fresh in the morning after breakfast. Sookie and Alcide took the guest room, Ororo agreed to sleep in her parents’ room, and Marie went up to her old room. She decided to use her sleeping bag instead of sleeping on the Captain’s bed here her own bed used to be. It was kind of like refusing to acknowledge the changes her father made to her old room. Alcide and Ororo went to the store for something fresh to eat since the food in the refrigerator had long since passed expiration. Marie unrolled her sleeping bag and changed into her night ware. She sighed as she wrapped her arms around herself. She could relax a little now.

“Ah think you oughta sell these things. Ah’m sorry your daddy was a shit-head, makes sense you should make some money offah him,” Sookie spoke from the doorway.

“Part of meh wants to burn ‘em lahk mah mama suggested ah do. But the other part of meh wants to do what you just said.”

“Alcide’s got dinner ready. You comin’ down?” Marie felt a downward mood swing coming on and she needed to be alone.

“Yeah, yeah. In a minute. Ah need to go freshen up a bit.”

“Take your tahm. Ah’ll put a plate in the microwave for ya. Oh and your friend went to Staples. Said she’d be back in a bit. Hopefully she’ll be back before dinner’s over or ah’ll have to make her up a plate too ah guess.”

“Thanks.”


Reality hit her once more; realizing that she had to deal with her parents’ things and whatever she had left in the house before she had to get rid of the house. The house held many bad memories for her now and she had no sentimental attachment to it now. Besides, she figured that she and Logan could use the money to start their family, or go on another major road trip to somewhere they hadn’t been before, or maybe even making a down payment on paying Charles back for throwing their wedding. He probably wouldn’t accept it and tell her to save it for starting the first hockey team at the school. She could see the jerseys would have three slash marks in the design and they’d be called the Xavier Wolverines. She smiled sweetly as she could see Charles and her husband arguing over the team name and how best to coach the team. Of course, Logan would win. She pictured her children, half with wild hair and the other with white streaks in the center of their crowns. All of them with the trademark Wolverine growl and eyebrow arches. Her sons would look like him and the girls like her; all with his healing factor…

Then another truth hit her… She might finally have closure on her past… Which she found so… Tragically ironic. This time, she was tossing them out of the house and after what they had done to her after that boy’s coma, that’s what seemed so ironic. Talk about Karma… She went into the bathroom and started a cool shower after being outside in the heat. As she was in the shower, Marie decided to let some of that private grief out. She cried as her heart seemed to break; emotions flooded her mind and her face.


Master Bedroom
D’Ancanto’s House
Meridian, MS.
8:00 P.M.

Marie had finally gone down and announced to the group in the parlor that she was a prune. Then she reheated her dinner. She forced herself to eat because she had to be strong until she made it back home. She didn’t want to fall apart in front of her cousin and her lover, much less in front of Ororo; emotionally or physically or Logan wouldn’t let her out of his sight ever again. After she ate, Sookie took her hand and led her back upstairs to the master bedroom. In her other hand she carried a blue plastic see-through container.

“Your friend got you five of these tubs and ah’m gonna help you go through your parents’ bedroom,” she’d noticed that her cousin’s eyes had changed to have red rings when Marie’d announced she was a prune.

“’Kay.”

“I’ve got garbage bags in two different colors for what to keep and what to get rid of,” Ororo spoke as she’d come up the stairs behind the two women.

“Ah don’t want any of mah daddy’s clothes; those can hit the black garbage bag and we’ll donate them to somewhere. Just put all mah mama’s clothes in a white bag. We’ll take those and all the quilts in the house.”

Ororo went to the closet and began to clean out the masculine side. Sookie began to work on the feminine. Marie went to her mama’s antique dresser with the plastic tub. She put her mother’s jewelry box in and some of the perfume bottles as well. Her antique hair brush and comb set were next before she moved on to the pictures on the wall. She filled the rest of the tub with picture frames that contained some memories for Marie. Alcide stayed away from the guest room, opting to leave the women alone just in case the emotional wells opened up. He waited in the parlor for someone to yell to come and take a box or a bag out to the Honda Pilot parked in the driveway. And when they finished the girls stripped the mattress because Sookie wanted to put her sleeping bag and Alcide’s zipped together to make a double bag. Ororo put her sleeping bag on top of the guest bed for her comfort. No one really wanted to have to do laundry to wash the sheets.

Sometime after 11 o’clock, they’d gone to bed. Everything Marie wanted emptied out of her parents’ bedroom and pictures and kitschy things out of the parlor. The rest of the rooms would have to wait for another day. What Marie didn’t realize is that she had entered the reconstruction and working through stage of grief. As she began to operate without the stresses of being at the school and around Logan, she found herself becoming more functional and a little stronger. Bringing along Ororo and Sookie had helped a great deal for moral support. Her mind was working with a bit more clarity and she had to start finding realistic answers to the problems that were popping up now that her parents were gone. The practical and financial problems that might pop up from that weekend seemed to be on the road to being solved if she could just get to that safety deposit box in Tennessee. And when Marie returned home, she was going to reconstruct her life and look ahead to the future…


The Attic
D’Ancanto’s House
Meridian, MS.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
5:00 A.M.

Marie hadn’t slept too well the night before. She tossed and turned from the stress of the day before. So she got up early and went for a run around the neighborhood to clear her head. No one had come by yet to offer their condolences and well wishes. In a way she was glad they hadn’t. She wondered if they hadn’t because it had been reported that mutants had been at her parents’ house and the clan had put out the word to stay away since several members of the local sect of the clan had been killed. An hour after her run, and quick dip in the shower, Marie went to work on the attic. It was something she could do alone… She found her mother’s wedding dress. She wasn’t going to wear it for her wedding, but she thought it might be nice to have and it would be stored at Templestaff. Marie decided to store all the things they had packed up at Templestaff. Maybe she and Logan could drive down in a U-Haul to pick everything later? She was looking in a trunk of her mother’s things when she heard someone call her from below. Ororo was up and had been working on creating cooler weather for the group at the house, while it was something Charles wouldn’t approve of, he was the one who used the brain phone and asked for a little favor from Logan for Marie.

“You okay, Marie?” Ororo asked.

“Yeah, ah think so. Ah’m just messing around up here. There’s not much of anything here that has to go back with us. It can all be sent to Templestaff.”

Ororo went up the step ladder into the attic and found Marie sitting on a foot locker that had been her father’s.

“How are you really doing?”

“Ah think ah’m reconstructing mahself and finding ways to deal with all this crud without them here. Ah know ah’ll never be the same as ah was before, but ah’m tryin’ to remember ah got things to live for.”

“Anything I can do to help?”

“Well, ah ain’t gonna be able to sell the house now. Logan and ah will have to come down and move things to Templestaff before we can do that.”

“Ah can handle that, Cuz,” Sookie spoke, her head popping up from the floor. “Seriously, if ah can get rid of dead bodies, ah can pack up this place for ya. And ah can get lots of hunky help to move everything.”

“Wouldn’t that help you, Marie,” Ororo queried.

“Yeah, yeah it would actually. Seriously?”

“Seriously… Then ya’ll could concentrate on the funeral and stuff.”

“Thanks.”

“Great, now let’s eat!” Sookie said before her head popped back out of view.

“In a minute, I need a little more time up here,” Marie asked of Ororo.

“I’ll let them know,” Ororo spoke as she stood and dusted her clothing off.

Marie continued to look around the attic and found a box that was marked Marie. Once she opened it, she realized what it was. It was everything she’d left behind in her room that fateful day that accident happened and she’d had to run away. They’d even put her sheets from the bed into the tall cardboard box. When she lifted the sheets, right on top lay her atlas that she’d planned to take with her to get to Alaska. She hadn’t taken it with her when she’d left before because she could only take essentials in the duffel bag that had been an old bag of her father’s. She gingerly lifted it out of the box and sat down on a chair she’d had in her room. The pages were slightly worn with age. The pictures and ink seemed so fresh. Tears began to well up in her eyes and then she thought about Logan. She felt a pang of regret that she had left him behind, but she needed this time to herself. After she wiped her eyes with a tissue from her pocket, she carefully put the atlas back inside the box and she sheets above that. There was no way to fit it into the rental upright to get it back to the Blackbird. She would have Sookie ship that box to New York.


The Kitchen
D’Ancanto’s House
Meridian, MS.
7:00 A.M.

Sookie had been sharing a memory from her childhood with Ororo and Alcide when Marie came into the kitchen looking a bit ripped to shreds by an emotional wood chipper.

“You okay, darlin’,” Alcide asked as he stood as soon as she entered the room. He held out her chair for her.

“Yeah, much better now ah think. Thanks,” Marie spoke before he placed a paper plate of still warm scrambled eggs, hash browns, and sausage in front of her.

Her inner Wolverine growled his approval of the food and his disapproval of Alcide hovering over his girl. She quickly took a bite of sausage to make him shut up inside her head. He had already started a bad headache.

“Good to hear,” Ororo said before she took a sip of coffee.

“Ah know ah wanted to head back to take you guys back, but… The more ah thought about it, ah need help here. Ah gotta go get mah parents tomorrow and ah gotta get things set up for a memorial. Ah gotta go shopping for supplies and then ah gotta have a funeral on Saturday…”

“You ain’t gonna have much energy,” Alcide said as he grabbed the last sausage on his plate.”

“What should we do then?” Sookie stood to get more coffee and take her paper plate to the trash.

“Ah hate to ask, but you two look relatively normal. Ah’ll give you a list, go to the addresses, and let them know there will be a service for mah parents. If they don’t wanna come for him, they might for her. If they decide they don’t wanna because ah’m a mutant, that’s fahn, may they rot in hell. Then let meh know about how many confirmed they’re comin’.”

“You got it,” Sookie sat back down.

“’Ro and ah will go pick out some flowers and get a party rental for chairs. Since we’re doing a funeral, we gotta feed the crowd. So we’ll get a menu together… Seriously considering just buying a couple extra-large pizzas and a case of beer.”

“Marie, we don’t have to feed them,” Ororo offered. “They’re supposed to bring you food.”

“Sugah, this is the south and this is practically KKK central. We’re lucky they haven’t picketed the house because you’re a black woman in a white man’s house. Hell, we’re mutants and that could still happen. People will go anywhere for free food and I don’t want to eat something poisoned.”

“Well, in her defense, what if they won’t eat your food because they think it’s poisoned?” Alcide spoke as he stood and put his paper plate in the trash on top of Sookie’s.

“True, true,” Marie took a bite of toast.

“What if Alcide smelled the food? He’s got a strong nose…” Sookie said as she started rinsing the coffee pot.

“So does Marie,” Ororo put her paper plate in the trash on top of Alcide’s.

“Don’t go there. He’s already itching to get out,” Marie said. She was the last one on top of the breakfast pile of paper plates.

“Who’s itching to get out,” Sookie asked.

“Long story ah don’t have tahm for,” Marie headed for the staircase. “Ah need to get that list. Mah mama’s address book’s upstairs in the box headed for storage.”


Davis Family Mortuary
Meridian, MS.
Friday, June 25, 2010
10:00 A.M.

Marie entered the building and that same perky blond, Bree Davis was ready to capture her prey. She rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses.

“How can ah help you?”

“Ah’m here to pick up mah parents.”

“Oh, where’d you drop them?” The girl giggled a few heart beats later. “Sorry, dead people humor.”

Marie wanted to make a comment about stiffs but that would be sinking to the girl’s level. She was above that. She was an X-Woman after all…

“Don’t worry, ah got it,” she weakly smiled so the girl wouldn’t feel so bad.

“Last name?”

“D’ Ancanto.”

“Oh yeah, just came in early this morning. Be right back.”

Marie tried not to lose herself in the low playing elevator music in the background as she waited for her parents ashes. She started to pace after a few more minutes; her inner Logan was on edge because it smelt like death everywhere. There were even a couple different scents that mixed in with death. There was pretty death, which smelt like flowers and death. Then there was room freshener death, where they used too much room freshener to hide the smell of death. The current scent of the room smelt like a piece of Lemon Head candy on steroids and death. Then she got a reprieve from the Olfactory Prison when Bree came back with two plain dark brown plastic containers.

“Here they are. So sorry for your loss,” Bree said as she passed the boxes to Marie.

“Thanks.”

“Have a good rest of your day.”

“Ah’ll try.”

Marie put her parents on the floor as Ororo started up the engine. She buckled in and smiled at Ororo to let her know that she was doing all right.

“Where to, kiddo?”

“Let’s go shopping…”

“You got it.”


Kitty Belle’s Restaurant
Meridian, MS.
2:00 P.M.

Marie and Ororo sat down at a table they were directed to by the hostess. They had gotten everything done by the early afternoon and decided to eat out for lunch. The ladies both had ordered sweet tea and were waiting to put in their food orders. The establishment screamed diner with its internal décor but the outside looked more like a Denny’s.

“’Ro, do you think ah’m ready to get married?”

Ororo nearly choked on her sip of sweet tea…

“What ah mean is, do you think ah’m ready to get married given what happened with mah parents and how Logan ah have been lately?”

“Oh, Marie… I’m not worried. You have plenty of time to get married. You’re not getting hitched until two thousand and twelve. That’s a little over twenty-two months from now, I think. There’s plenty of time to love and hate each other before then,” Ororo smiled.

“Ah know. Ah just… Ah seemed so sure when ah proposed that ah was ready an’ life seems to be gettin’ in our way. Ah’m almost twenty-three and doubts have been poppin’ up…”

“Well whack ‘em back, Marie. You love Logan and you both consented to marry one another; that’s a good thing. Look, Hank and I went through our own periods of doubt before we got hitched.”

“What happened?”

“He knocked me up…” Marie laughed. “Seriously, no. I was just kidding. There was just something about him when I watched him and Logan one day, outside the mansion, bein’ all manly, building an addition to my greenhouse.”

Marie blushed a little.

“Come on ‘Ro, you had the hots for his furry and sweaty blue abs didn’t ya?”

“Hell yeah, girlfriend… Mind you, Logan wasn’t so bad lookin’ either; a girl has got to have some limits. I’m not Jubilee.”

“True, true.”

Ororo suddenly had an idea she thought about passing by Charles when they returned… Something that involved Logan getting sweaty and being shirtless on a beautiful day… One of which she could definitely engineer. The waitress popped up and they ordered lunch. The women continued to talk about their men, Ororo’s little one, and the plans they still had left to complete.


The Parlor
D’Ancanto’s House
Meridian, MS.
8:30 P.M.

Sookie felt bad that they could only get half of the women on Marie’s list to come to the service for Marie’s mother. Alcide tried everything he could, just short of growling at them to get them to agree to attend the service. Some of them he’d promised private strip shows for, but they had to go to the funeral first. He had no intention of following through, because he intended to leave Meridian and never come back. He lived in Bon Temps with Sookie and that was that. So, Sookie went and sprang for pizza for dinner. An all meat and cheese one for Alcide, a combination pizza for the other girls, and a pepperoni pizza for breakfast because no one was going to want to cook considering the funeral was going to have them all busy. The girls spent the rest of the evening putting flower bunches together to tie to the chairs on the ends of the aisles and gluing programs together while Alcide went on patrol outside. Everyone went to bed just before midnight to get some rest.


Marie’s Old Room-Owen’s Model Boat Dock
D’Ancanto’s House
Meridian, MS.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
5:45 A.M.

Marie was up early before sunrise. She got dressed and snuck out of the back of the house while Alcide had snuck in the front of the house to be with Sookie for a little while. She went out to the alley behind the back fence and waited for the full moon to rise. When 6:32 in the morning struck her watch, Marie let it loose and suddenly howled. It was a long and mournful lamentation. The urge came from her inner Wolverine since it was a full moon. Then there was a roar and abruptly Alcide appeared by jumping over the back of the fence, skipping the access door all together. He was shirtless and growly. Marie was super lucky that he wasn’t shifted into his animal form…

“What the fuck was that?”

“Morning to you too,” Marie teased.

“You don’t howl like that without a reason,” he chided her.

She didn’t really have a reason that seemed sensible to anyone other than herself. She’d come out to release some emotion and she was done crying. Alcide wouldn’t understand that her inner Wolverine cried out for something different than more tears. Fighting or getting drunk really wasn’t an option since she was about to hold a funeral in a little under three hours for her parents; for people who probably wished they weren’t there to begin with.

“Just go on back to bed or my cousin. Ah’m fine. Sun’s up so ah’m not under vampire attack.”

“You should call him,” Alcide spoke out of the blue.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly how it sounds, Marie. A howl like that to a were like me, says that you’re missing your mate. Other humans think you’re just bein’ strange.”

“It does? Really?”

“Seriously. Besides, it’s a full moon if you haven’t noticed. Tonight, I’ll be out gettin’ my howlin’ on. Still, I think you should call him…”

“Ah’ll think about it. You go on back inside. The funeral is in less than three hours and ah need to center mahself.”

“You’re sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, now git. Go on.”

“Howl if you need anything,” he teased.

Marie watched him disappear behind the gate and then heard the back door close before she began to consider what he’d said. Was her inner Wolverine trying to tell her something? If she caved and called Logan, she wasn’t sure she’d be strong enough to make it through the funeral even though she had some support. He had that effect on her where if he talked to her a certain way, it turned her into an emotional puddle. No, she needed to be strong for herself and wait… She could call afterward… Maybe. The sun rose up through the trees and she decided it was time to head back inside.


Templestaff
Meridian, MS.
9:00 A.M.

Marie sat in a simple folding chair, with Ororo seated to her left, and Sookie on her right with Alcide seated next to her. She wore a simple black blouse and black pencil skirt. She wore opera gloves and a hat to cover up because she felt like it. No one could really get a good look at her face through the small mesh rectangle covering her face. She was the typical mysterious woman in black that attended funerals. Marie was sure they’d be gossiping to figure out just who she was. The minister read the twenty-third Psalm and the Lord’s Prayer before he asked if anyone had a few words. Not a one stood to share anything. She figured it was because she was a mutant or the women had been pressured by their domineering, racist husbands not to talk to a mutant. She turned in her telepathic ability and over heard what some of them were thinking…

Her mama’s best friend, Bernice, thought she was a vampire because of the way she hid every inch of her skin. Most had comments about how they felt sorry for her parents because they gave birth to a mutant spawn of Satan. They were glad she was probably leaving town after the funeral. Marie wanted to yell at them all for being so intolerant and ignorant but what good would it have done? She kept her head down for most of the service so that people wouldn’t see how red her face was turning from all the anger she had to tamp down until she could go somewhere alone and let it out. Marie was able to at least keep her breakfast down when she listened to the women looking at Alcide and making comments about what they wanted to do to him when he came to give them what he’d promised.

Thankfully, the service wasn’t very long. Then the people disbursed as the minister finished and gave Marie his condolences. Alcide took Sookie to the rented Pilot Ororo and Marie had been driving. Ororo stayed behind with her and for that she was grateful. Logan could have come but he would have spent the service growling at people and she couldn’t have that. No, it had been better that she’d left him at home where the other half of her heart waited for her. Ororo had her arm wrapped around Marie’s to give her support as they watched the plastic boxes go inside metal ones to keep them dry. Then those were welded shut before they were then buried. Marie stayed for all of this. Even though Priscilla just wanted her husband buried at Templestaff, Marie decided to put them there together on the property but separate graves. The staff at Templestaff fed as many people as they could before the guests just gave up on waiting for the last D’ Ancanto to make an appearance and left.


D’Ancanto’s House
Meridian, MS.
12:00 P.M.

After having some lunch and getting back into something more comfortable, Marie, Ororo, Sookie and Alcide moved the boxes over to Templestaff of the things she wanted kept. She made plans to come back down around Thanksgiving to finish up packing up the house. But Sookie told her that she’d take care of it. And then sometime after the New Year, they agreed that it would be time to sell the house. They didn’t know how much luck they’d have considering two people were murdered on the front lawn. Sookie promised to do her best to get it sold. Then the four of them secured the house until their return…


Sookie Stackhouse’s Residence
Bon Temps, LA.
7:00 P.M.

No one felt like cooking when they’d finally driven from Mississippi to Louisiana. Sookie hit the phone and ordered pizza. Somehow, they’d managed to put the tall box of Marie’s leftover things from her bedroom into the back of the Honda Pilot along with everyone’s luggage. Alcide brought that all in while Marie hit the shower; just to get away from the reminders of earlier that day and unwind. Ororo brought up a t-shirt and shorts to sleep in. While they had dinner they played board games and once they bored with that it got down to poker. After sunset at 8:12, Alcide bid the ladies a good night and went off to do his full moon thing. Eric popped up and got an invite inside from Sookie. He missed seeing her and was starting to hit on Marie; just because she looked just like Sookie only with more spunk and darker hair. After that, Sookie took care of sending Eric home… Marie watched from the window. She was glad she was engaged to a man with warm blood in his veins than a creepy cold vampire.


Bon Temps Regional Airport
Bon Temps, LA.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
8:00 A.M.

Marie and Ororo dropped off the rental after loading the box of Marie’s things onto the Blackbird. The women had decided last night to be up early. The earlier they got up then Marie would have time to stop in to Nashville to empty her mother’s safety deposit box. Soon they were in the air and headed for Music City. It wouldn’t be easy on Marie because she had no idea what her mother had stored inside the metal box. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the kind of thing to be able to send Ororo in for her. No, she had to face things herself. But it had to wait for one more day because the bank wasn’t open on Sunday. So they spent some time sight-seeing in Nashville after they rented a room at the local Motel 6. It wasn’t as dingy as some of the places Logan had stayed in but it would suit them fine since it was just overnight anyway.


Community National First Bank
Nashville, TN.
Monday, June 28, 2010
10:00 A.M.

The man in charge of the safety deposit boxes flirted with Marie even though it was wildly inappropriate. She hadn’t worn her rings from Logan on her hand, but they were there around her neck; though they were hidden under her t-shirt. Ororo sat right by her side. The stupid part was that Marie listened in to his thoughts and he assumed that the white haired weather goddess and the grieving Rogue were lesbians just because of the way Ororo had her left arm under Marie’s, to support her in her hour of need. UGH! He had no idea that the women across from him were mutants and engaged or married to mutant men. All she wanted to do was get out of the man’s presence so that she could finish up the rest of her business. Once the identities had been checked and paperwork had been signed then Marie got into the metal box to discover that a box was inside it. The rectangular box was about twelve inches tall and about fifteen inches long. It was sealed with all kinds of colored tape. Normally, she would have stayed and opened it, but she decided to do that at home.

The bank wanted her to open it so that they could make sure what was in it was what had been registered with them. Marie declined and asked for the original piece of paperwork the bank had of its contents. They would have no use for keeping it because she was closing out her mother’s account. ‘Barry,’ the employee told her that they couldn’t give that to her because he had to check with the branch manager, but then Marie used some of the Professor’s gift to change his mind and got what she wanted. Ororo let her get away with it because she wanted to get out of there as well. Having to go through the proper channels would have taken longer and women wanted to get the hell out of the bank. After a stop in at a fast food place for lunch to go, they returned the second rental car and got themselves back in the air before the invisible plane was detected at the airport.


The Hangar
Level 4 Underground
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
5:00 P.M.

Marie had a feeling that Logan would be standing there the minute when the heavy metal door came down and she stepped onto the ramp. What she hadn’t expected was the quietness of the air conditioning cooling the hanger after the above doors had closed. Logan wasn’t there to meet her… She conceded that she deserved it considering the way she left. The Professor was there to meet them though…

“It’s good to have you both back,” he said as he gave Ororo a quick hug and then one to Marie as well. “How was your trip, Marie?”

“Ah wish ah could say it was fantastic. It was bittersweet. Ah got to see mah cousin, got to have a little fun, and ah took care of business. Ah’m sorry we had to take an extra day. Ah’m glad ah’m back.”

“Quite alright. Ororo kept me up to date,” he said as he pointed to his head. “Logan’s out… He should be back later. Would you like me to reach him?”

“Um, no, that’s alright. Ah wanna go take a shower and then a nap sounds wonderful.”

“I will respect your wishes. Dinner will be soon. I will have someone come get you when dinner is served.”

“Thanks. Oh, could you please have the box on the plane taken up to the attic for a while. That would be great.”

“It will be done,” Marie headed off to the X-Women’s locker room to take her shower.


“How did she do?” Charles asked Ororo.

“Much better than I thought. She may have buried some emotions to get through this past weekend, but then I don’t blame her. Listen, I have an idea… Marie is having some doubts about getting married. Totally normal jitters… I was thinking; do you still have that two story cabin there on the west side of the grounds. You know, the one Hank used for teaching his biology and life science classes?”

“Yes, I think I remember it. It hasn’t been used in decades… Why?”

“I thought that maybe you could have Logan fix it up, you know, let him get primal, manly macho. Then have Marie go out there and take him something to eat or drink. Let her watch him…”

“Interesting.”

“Then you could give it to them to live in afterward, maybe as a wedding gift. You knew what you were doing when you had Hank and Logan add on to my greenhouse. It was just what I needed to help me decide. Only this time, just let it be Marie and Logan…”

“And your theory is that they’ll reconnect and recharge with each other…”

“Yes, thereby the wedding will be back on.”

“Very interesting concept… I will take it under consideration.”


Logan’s Room
Instructor’s Wing
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
5:00 A.M.

Logan was up before dawn and looking out the window at the end of the hall. He sighed as he hadn’t slept well at all last night; Marie wasn’t there to share his bed… He couldn’t stop thinking about her, but he had to; he had classes to teach. Xavier turned his School for Gifted Students into a year round school last year. Said the students would be better off for it because the kids wouldn’t lose the knowledge they’d gained all year over a month vacation verses three month’s worth of vacation. The Instructor’s didn’t seem to mind taking more time to be hands on with the students or mind getting a shorter vacation, because Xavier gave them a bigger paycheck. Track A seniors got their month off in May and then came back to take their finals in June if they wanted to graduate in June. Track B juniors got their month off in June to come back in July for their finals before they moved up to senior status in August. Track C sophomores got their month off in July and had to come back for finals in August. And Track D freshmen got their month off in August and came back in September for their finals.

That first day Marie left, Logan practically wore a rut in the wood as he paced the halls. He didn’t like it one bit. He wanted to be there to support her but the feelings that would come from her for him rushing down there to be with her would be bad for the recovery that they were working on propagating. Okay so he couldn’t go south… He had a feeling that if he’d tried to contact her, she might ignore his texts, emails, and voicemails while she was away. So, Logan obeyed the silence. He didn’t contact Marie at all through her phone. He spent time down in the Danger Room to use up the energy or he would go mad thinking of what might happen if Marie was captured by the new Weapon X Program. It was bad enough he had Victor on his mind and his eventual escape. Chuck was so naïve when it came to Sabretooth. He knew what the big cat was capable of and now with his enhancements, he was an extreme danger to the school. He couldn’t understand why Chuck didn’t see it. Or maybe he did and figured that the benefits outweighed the risks. Which lead Logan to push himself harder in the simulations than he ever had before; no more preset pansy tracks from Scooter. No, this one would be specially made for his levels of training and mad, wicked skills.

Okay, that worked for one day… And then he was back to pacing. Worse yet, he started to burn the wick at both ends and as such his attitude got worse. He started losing his cool and growling a lot and scaring some of the freshmen. Some of the seniors who remained at the school before college tried to offer a little comfort to the younger ones because they knew how he could be when it came to Rogue being absent. When he put his fist through his bedroom door, Charles called him down through the mental phone on Friday morning before classes. Then he sat the poor man down for a frank conversation.

“Logan, I know you’ve never been a man of much patience… Marie will return.”

“I know… I just can’t help but worry somethin’s gonna happen. And now with Weapon X reopened…”

“I get your point. Ororo is with her. Perhaps you should take some time off while she’s gone. I have been getting so many worried thoughts about you from everyone here that it’s giving me headaches from all the projections.”

Logan knew if the government wanted Rogue, they’d take her, weather goddess or not… There would be nothing to stop them… Nothing.

“Sorry,” he guiltily looked down at the hands in his lap. “What would you suggest I do?”

“Go for a ride, work on what’s in the garage, and read. Just relax a while.”

“You want me to get Marie off my mind, is that it?”

“Not exactly, why don’t you go meditate? I know that has helped you to relax in the past.”

“Look, I’ll try to let up on the kids as much as I can, but the animal isn’t at ease while Marie’s gone.”

“I understand. Your feral nature is to protect her and she’s not here. I can’t imagine that it is easy to control both sides of you with Marie absent.”

“No, it ain’t. Listen, I’ll see ya later.”

“Yes. Have a good day, Logan.”


Boat House
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
6:30 A.M.

Logan was up and sitting cross-legged on the back porch of the Boat House, trying to meditate like Chuck wanted him to. Two minutes later, he heard something on the wind… It was very faint but it sounded like… Like someone was missing their mate. He couldn’t be sure it was Marie because he’d never heard Marie howl like that. Sure they’d done it a couple times on full moons, but they’d been together… So he knew her playful howl, not the kind of howl he’d just heard. The more he thought on it, it sounded like there was some emotion in it and wondered if it was Marie… Was she in trouble? He prayed not as he stood and opened up his diaphragm… Logan began to howl back that he missed her too, in a long and mournful way, full of emotion… He hoped she heard it. The animal was pleased that Logan allowed him to call out to his missing mate. Then the man turned and went inside for coffee… He’d need it since he was going to teach automotive for those that needed a little extra help getting things learned, the ones that needed a more hands on individual instruction. Logan walked up slowly from the Boat House to the Staff Kitchen to grab some breakfast and he could tell it was going to be a hot day by the time he reached the door. Once inside he found Jubilee raiding the fridge. Then she turned around and cracked an egg over a warmed up pan.

‘Damn, she looked about ready to pop that kid out,’ he thought as he watched her fry an egg.

“Morning Wolvie, everything okay with you?”

“Mornin’ Yellow, yeah… Why?”

“Heard ya howlin’ out there and wondered. I know ya miss Roguey. Want an egg sandwich?”

“I was just gonna grab a muffin,” he spoke as he watched her put a couple long pickle slices on top of the bagel bottom and was turned off by Jubilee’s breakfast.

“Don’t upset a pregnant woman Logan, have one. It’s Roguey’s recipe. I know you’ll love it…”

Well, he’d give it a shot to please the pregnant Jubilee, and also for Marie.

“Sure, I’ll take one,” no reason he couldn’t start small and build…

He pulled up a seat at the table near the window and grabbed the sports section of his newspaper.

“Nuh uh, you’re gonna eat two. They’re addictive… I swear.”

“Fine, just hurry it up. I gotta go teach in the garage in an hour.”

“You’ve got time…” she teased as she cracked two more eggs open; like she knew something he didn’t know and it bugged him a little.


By the time she was making the bacon, his mouth was watering…

“How much longer?”

“Comin’ up,” she uttered as she waddled around the kitchen counter and brought him a plate with two of these egg sandwiches she said were Marie’s recipe. The thing was almost five inches high!

“What’s in this thing?”

“Not sayin’ a word ‘til you take a bite, chew, and swallow…”

He lowly growled, but he picked up the sandwich and took a bite… He chewed and swallowed. It wasn’t half bad. It was a sweet onion bagel slit in half and toasted in a pan with butter until crispy and then mayo spread on top and bottom Then the long bread and butter pickle slices, fried egg, two bacon slices, and then a thick slice of Velveeta cheese on top; and then the top of the bagel on top of the masterpiece. The Velveeta cheese melted over everything and was like the glue to hold it all together. Logan had to admit he liked it. He thought the addition of the pickle was just a pregnancy thing that Jubilee had added because she had weird cravings. But that didn’t fit because she said it was Marie’s recipe…

“Not bad, not bad.”

“See, told ya. She invented it for me when you and Remy were off playin’ around that time we were all in New Orleans. The kiddo in here can’t get enough of them and Auntie Roguey’s not here, so I had to make do. She has another kind of egg sandwich. It has chili in it but she didn’t make me that one cause she said she likes to make that one for winter breakfasts, not summer.”

Logan locked that little tidbit away to have her make him one when it got cold. And there it was again… He was back to missing Marie all over again. He killed off both sandwiches and thanked Jubilee before he folded the sports section in half and tucked it under his arm to head out to the Garage. The temperature had already climbed by the time he reached the outer door of the Garage. Fortunately, there was air conditioning inside.