“Come on, sugar. I thought you were a badass.” Marie had to fight hard not to break down laughing. Logan was refusing stone cold to come with her to spread the news. She had succeeded in dragging him down into the hall, but now he practically clung to the banister and didn’t budge an inch.
“Sure am. But I don’t wanna ruin this moment for you. Go ahead, tell them.” He tried to shoo her into the direction of Professor Xavier’s office, but Marie wouldn’t take it.
“You really think I’d want to tell them alone? Logan, I want you to be there. Be part of it.” Again the Resolved Face. “Don’t you think you already had your fair share of fucking up for a day?”
Wiping a hand across his eyes, he sighed deeply. “Fine. Fine, I’m coming.” He pointed a finger at her. “But you do the talking.”
She grinned triumphantly. “Fair enough.”
The reactions they met with couldn’t have differed more. Jubilee and Kitty, who already knew, broke into ecstatic giggles at the fact that the couple had pulled themselves together – not that there had really be any doubt about it, in their opinion.
Professor Xavier was his usual calm self, congratulating Rogue and offering Logan a handshake, which the other – surprisingly – accepted with a wry grin.
Storm rubbed Rogue’s gloved hand, smiling and winking at the younger woman. “I knew this was going to happen. I felt it.” Rogue just smiled back, leaving Logan to roll his eyes at ‘women’s intuition’.
Hank went so far as to actually hug Rogue, an endearment that seemed reserved for the furry doctor. He was genuinely happy for her, and Scott patted her shoulder with a wide smile. He had always felt responsible for her, which probably led to the big brother speech he gave Logan about now having responsibility to carry and not to dream of leaving her for some bar fly. This earned him a very painful handshake and a hissed “Shut the hell up, Scooter.”
But all the happiness came to a screeching halt when Rogue saw the look on Jean’s face. The ‘poor innocent little Rogue’ look she had given her so many times ever since they had first met.
In the beginning, it had been because of her mutation. The poor young girl, so pretty but forever unable to touch. Then, it had been because of her seemingly hopeless crush on Logan. When Jean had realised that they were heading into relationship country, the look had taken on a meaner, less sincere note – as if telling her ‘he’s going to leave you anyway’, and being secretly happy about it.
Now venom shone brightly from her eyes, no longer kept secret. Jean herself didn’t really know where it came from, why she despised the younger woman so much. She also didn’t know when it had started. But one day the green-eyed monster had reared its ugly head, and Jean had succumbed to it.
And now, as she listened to Rogue and Logan announcing that the Untouchable was pregnant, she realised that she was indeed jealous. She had refused Logan’s various advances, but it had been a game for her. Never had she dreamed that he would move on and pursue a serious relationship. With Rogue of all people. And now Rogue was pregnant, and both seemed more than happy.
And Jean felt a fire blaze in her chest that scared her.
But because she was Jean, ever so dependable Jean, she forced herself to smile and congratulate them, although she could see in Rogue’s eyes that she had noticed the flare of emotion in Jean’s.
And yet, Rogue just smiled at her a little sadly, thanked her and turned away as though nothing had happened.
The X Mansion being a school, the news naturally spread like a bush fire, and soon Rogue couldn’t take two steps without being assaulted by students who wished her well. Some of the more daring actually asked how that could have worked, what with her mutation and such, but Rogue just winked at them. “Love always finds a way.”
Logan caused the occasional wolf-whistles when he entered a room, and St John was bold enough to slap him on the shoulder and say “Good job!”, and Rogue, who witnessed said episode, would collapse into hysterical giggles whenever she thought of Logan turning a furious shade of red.
‘Momma,
I don’t know if you’ll get this letter or if you’ll open it at all. I just thought you’d like to know.
I got married one year ago. His name is Logan. He has saved my life a couple of times now, and he’s the best man I could hope for.
I’m also seven weeks pregnant. The baby will be born in December. Maybe you’d like to see your grand-child sometime. Let me now.
Tell Daddy I love him.
Marie’
End of Chapter 2