A month later, Logan walked into his and Marie’s apartment and straight into the kitchen. Marie was sitting at the breakfast bar drinking coffee.
She jumped when he threw the local rag in front of her. “Page 8.” He sat down next to her and waited while she opened the paper.
“If I find a naked picture of you in here, I’m not going to be happy.” He chuckled and waited. She turned the page and was immediately confronted with a photo of Ethan being carted off in a police car; the headline read ‘Major Drug Dealer Jailed’.
She looked at Logan, who just stayed calm. “Read it. Then maybe you’ll believe me that the three of us didn’t kill him and dump his body in the nearest lake!”
“Today Ethan Palmer of Highland Terrace was jailed for two years on drug offences and, oh my God, another four years on sexual assault charges! Mr Palmer, 34--what? He’s 34…? Mr Palmer, 34, was found at one of the city’s most popular nightclubs with over $12,000 worth of crack cocaine in his possession. The club’s security team, who has testified that they witnessed him on several occasions attempting to sell the drugs to revellers, alerted the authorities. Mr Palmer claimed that a disgruntled girlfriend planted the drugs on his person. The Court, however, saw this as a desperate plea and found him guilty on the drug charges. During the trial, a 15-year-old girl, who cannot be named due to her age, came forward and gave a statement to the police. Once the trial was made public, the girl informed her parents of what had happened with Mr Palmer and made a statement. She claimed that Palmer had groomed her into his world, given her drugs, and then had sexual relations with her without her consent. In closing, the Judge said that this kind of person only deserves to be imprisoned, and it was a relief to the general public.”
She put the paper down and ran her hands over her face. “You ok?”
“Yeah. Out of everything, I never expected to find out he had done this before. I thought I was being dated, not groomed. Sorry.”
“What for?”
She looked at him a little sheepishly. “I kinda was convinced that the three of you had done something to him. I’m sorry I didn’t believe you.” He got off the stool and kissed her on the forehead.
“I wouldn’t have believed me either.” He filled the coffee maker back up and flicked on the switch.
“Do you still want this? Me?” He turned around really quickly and put his hands on her face.
“Yes. I want you, our home, everything. You’re mine.”
“What about the baby?” She was so scared of that answer.
He smiled and kissed her lips. “You’re mine, which in turn means the baby too.”
“I never want it to know who its father is. I never want him or her to know he was a manipulating sexual freak who is in jail.”
“And he won’t. I’m gonna be the one being called Dad. Scott, Hank, Jubes and the Professor are the only ones who know any different. That’s how it’s gonna stay, unless you say otherwise.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “He?”
“Way it kicks me in the back when you’re sleeping, baby, then…yeah!” She tensed, and he noticed it immediately. “What?”
“Don’t call me baby. I don’t like it.”
That’s what he had heard Ethan call Jubes. “Never again, darlin’.” He pulled her into his chest and pressed light kisses on her head.
When she was eight months gone, she started have fake contractions. A couple of times Logan had even got her in the truck, ready to take her to Hank. After the second time, Hank explained that it was perfectly natural and unless the contractions didn’t stop after a couple of hours or her water broke, then not to worry.
She went to the mansion with him everyday now, spending the day taking pictures, talking with students, Jubes, or simply hanging out. She read her baby books at night and was currently wading through a baby name book.
Logan came out of the bathroom, dried himself off, and got into bed. He snuggled in next to her and then rubbed her full tummy. Not able to suppress a smile, she put her hand over his. Then she brought his to her lips and kissed his knuckles.
“So what about Scott?” He looked at her, trying to figure out what she was talking about. Had Scott called?
“What about him?”
She rolled her eyes and laughed. “No, you yoghurt, Scott, as in a boy’s name.”
Logan sat straight up in bed. “No way! No way in hell! Marie, that’s not even funny.” She laughed again.
“Ok, how about Simon?” He pulled a face. “Stuart? Steven?” Another face. “Well, you suggest something then?” She shoved the book in her lap.
“How about James?” She looked at him; something nagged at her about that name. He saw her confusion and nodded. “You recognise something about it, too?”
She nodded. “Yeah, but I can’t place where.”
“Me.”
“What about you?”
“I think I knew someone, maybe my father, brother, or someone else important to me with that name. It’s always nagged at me.” She caught on then; it would have transferred to her at the Statue of Liberty.
“It could be your name, you know.”
“Nah, why would I remember Logan then? It’s not mine.”
“I like it. James it is. Now, what about girls?”
“Girls are your department, darlin’. I’ve done my bit for mankind. What about a surname? You never told me yours.”
“Its D’Ancanto. My dad was half Italian.” He laughed, and his whole body shook. “What’s so funny?”
“The way you say Italian it comes out like I-talion.”
She swatted him on the arm. “You leave my accent alone, Mr. Northern Exposure.”
He suddenly turned serious. “So you’re gonna register the baby as James D’Ancanto if it’s a boy?”
“Yeah. Is that ok with you?”
“Yeah…No…it’s not.” She put her book on her nightstand and looked at him, worried for a moment. He turned to face her completely. “Will you marry me?”
She was suddenly really taken aback. What? Did she hear him right? “Did you just say what I think you did?”
“Yeah. Will you?”
“Why?” He rubbed the back of his neck.
“You know how I feel about you and the baby. I want the both of you. I would prefer his name to be James Calver.” She smiled at him; Calver was the pseudonym the Professor had arranged for him so he could get a credit card, driver’s licence, teacher’s licence and other stuff like that.
“And what if it’s a girl?”
“Then whatever Calver. I would like your name to be Calver, too.”
“Logan, I’m eight months. I would never fit into a nice dress…”
“We can wait ‘til after if you want to. Whatever you want to do.”
She jumped him as best she could, given her shape. She held onto him for dear life and only pulled away when she was sure she wasn’t dreaming. “I want that. After the baby’s born.” She hugged him again. She giggled and then a sharp pain caught her.
“What was that? You ok?”
“Yeah, I think so, ooh! O-Kay. Logan I think you need to call Hank and tell him we’re on our way.”
“Darlin’, it’s probably another one of those Toni Braxton’s or whatever they’re called.”
“No, and I know that because they’re not accompanied by a big puddle of water!”
He threw back the cover and revealed that, yes, the bed was soaked under her. “Shit! I’ll go call Hank. Stay there, don’t move or do anything.”
“Really, why? I was planning on dressing in drag and doing the hoola!” She scrunched her face up as another contraction washed over her. “Sorry. GO!”
He jumped off the bed and ran into the living room. She heard him crash into the telephone stand; she rolled her eyes and laughed when she heard him curse using every profanity she had ever heard. Her giggles didn’t last too long as she had another contraction.
In between contractions she managed to get changed, as there was no way she was going with a wet night-dress. She breathed deep breaths through her contractions in the truck on the way there. “How ya doing, darlin’?”
“OK. It hurts, but I can deal.”
They reached the front door of the mansion, and Hank, Charles, Jubes, Scott and ‘Ro were there to welcome her. Logan attempted to pick her up, but she stopped him. “No, let me walk. It’s easier if I walk.”
They had to stop every few yards for her to have a contraction, but eventually they got to the med lab. Logan helped her onto the exam table, but she immediately got off and leaned on it instead.
He lovingly rubbed her lower back when the contractions came. Even though the pain was intense, she was still amazed at how he was. This child wasn’t his, and it had come out of a situation that was truly awful. But Logan was still there for her, trying to help and make her feel better.
“Rogue, can I offer you any pain relief?”
Logan was about to say yes, help her, but Marie cut him off. “NO! Nothing.”
“Darlin’, this is gonna hurt. You need something.”
“No, I don’t. This baby started off life that way, and I’m sure as hell not going to take it back there. No drugs, ever.” Logan face was close to hers, and he nodded.
“I need to examine you.” Hank looked around the room at Jubes and Scott. “Anyone who’s not staying should leave now.”
“I’m staying, if that’s ok with you, chica?” Marie nodded.
“I think I’ll pass.” Scott said, and Jubes laughed at him.
Marie turned to Logan and gestured to Hank. “You sure you can cope with another man looking at your fiancée’s bits and pieces?” He chuckled and kissed her forehead.
Scott turned at the door. “Fiancée? When did this happen?”
Logan turned to Scott and smiled smugly. “About an hour ago.” Then he laced his voice with sarcasm. “She was so excited, she decided to have the baby now.”
Hank helped Marie onto the exam bed and was putting surgical gloves on to examine her. Everyone in the room was looking at Scott.
“Hang on, you can’t just decide to get married. You …”
“GET OUT, SCOTT!” It was shouted in unison.
“Ok, I’m going, I’m going!” He saw that Hank was about the lift up Marie’s gown to look at her private area, and he practically ran out of the med lab. Only thing was, he wasn’t looking properly, and he crashed into the closed door. He turned to the group, smiled weakly and left holding his nose. Jubes had to contain her laughter.
She had Logan on one side of her and Jubes the other. They held her hands and gave her praise and encouragement. Logan repeatedly kissed her and told her he loved her and how brave and wonderful she was.
When she finally managed to get the baby out, she slumped back and panted. Her hair was sweaty and clung to her face, and she was exhausted. All this was forgotten when soft crying erupted into the room, reverberating off the metal walls.
“Congratulations, my dear, you have a beautiful baby girl!” He towelled her off slightly, and Jubes ran to get some clips and scissors he gestured to. He then clipped the umbilical cord in two places and looked at Logan. “Would you like to?”
“Darlin’?” She smiled brightly and nodded.
He went to where the baby was and let out about 1-inch of claw and cut the cord. Hank bundled up the baby girl and handed her to Logan. He went to Marie and settled the wriggling bundle into her arms.
“Say hi to mama little one.”
Marie gasped and silent tears slipped down her checks. “Hey girlie! God, she’s so beautiful. Logan, look at her eyes.”
He did, and they were perfectly blue—not a normal blue, but a vibrant aqua blue. To other mutants the fact she was a mutant would be perfectly obvious, but to a human, they probably wouldn’t notice.
He leaned over her and the baby, touched Marie’s chin, and bought her head round so he could kiss her. She sobbed through her smile. He then turned to the baby and poked her nose with his finger. He was smiling, and Marie couldn’t take her eyes off him.
He really did want this, completely. She knew that now. She knew that he meant what he said. He was willing to be a father to a child that wasn’t his and came from a disgusting situation.
“I love you.” He froze. He must be going deaf. He looked at her, fear that he had heard her wrong evident in his face.
“What did you say?”
“I said I love you, and I do, I really do.” He kissed her, pressing his lips hard onto her; he lowered her jaw and slipped his tongue into her mouth. If the situation were different, he would have taken her here and now. He wanted to mark her. She had finally given herself to him fully, and he gloried in it. A soft cooing and wriggling broke their moment.
Logan took the baby, and Hank helped him wash her and get her dressed. Jubes helped Marie have a bath, and then once she was back in clean sheets, she fell asleep.
She woke up on her side facing the blank wall of the med lab. She tuned over and found and small glass cot, with her baby in it. She was asleep, too. Logan had dressed her in a little pink all-in-one with a matching pink hat. She wanted to cry, it was so overwhelming. She had gone from not wanting to be involved emotionally with anyone, not wanting to get too close, needing to keep herself away from her feelings, to suddenly getting engaged and having a baby.
She looked past the cot into the room. There were cards everywhere, three big bunches of flowers, a couple of pink helium balloons, and the best thing was a huge teddy. It had a pink bow round its neck and a pink biker jacket on. It had black strips on the arms, just like Logan’s. The jacket was the same leather their uniforms were made out of, and it had a small ‘X’ logo on the collar. It must have been specially made months ago.
“Xavier. Trust him to know it would be girl.” She smiled and jumped at the sound of a familiar gruff voice.
“Who said it was Xavier who knew?” She looked to the far wall. Logan sat on Hank’s desk. He had been there all along, watching them sleep.
“Been there long?” He got up and walked to the tiny cot. He picked up the baby and sat on the bed next to Marie. He made no attempt to pass her the baby; he just looked at her tiny little face.
“Just watching my girls sleep.” She hugged him fiercely, whispering ‘I love you’ into his neck.
*******************END OF PART FIVE
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Summary: This child wasn’t his, and it had come out of a situation that was truly awful. But Logan was still there for her, trying to help and make her feel better.