“No, Jean.” She continued reading her magazine, feet propped up on the small table and a large bottle of water resting on her crossed legs.
“Then let me at least monitor you. Do an ultrasound.”
“No, Jean.” Rogue would never have admitted it to anyone except Logan but she secretly – okay, not so secretly - enjoyed getting Jean worked up like this. She had started replying ‘No Jean’ to anything the doctor proposed a while back, and she always had to fight hard to keep from grinning when Jean got flustered.
Storm entered the TV room then, carrying a bowl with ice cream, just as Jean threw up her hands in resignation. The dark-skinned woman placed a calming hand on her friend’s arm. “Something wrong?”
“No. Everything is great. Except that no one in this place listens to me.” With that she all but ran from the room.
Storm sat beside Rogue on the sofa, pulling her legs up beneath her. “The ‘No Jean’ thing again?”
“Yep.”
“You shouldn’t tease her like that. She means well.”
“I know, ‘Ro. I know. It’s just...” She sighed, putting down the magazine. “I just wish she’d have a little more confidence in me. I’m not a child anymore.” She motioned at her very pregnant belly. “Obviously.”
Ororo smiled. “Jean knows that. But she is a doctor after all, and she only does what she was trained to do.”
Rogue giggled. “Like a dog.” She sobered. “I know all that. But she isn’t helping me in the slightest by pushing me like that.” Sighing, she laid the magazine and her bottle on the table. “No time to worry about that, though. Gotta get dressed. Logan’s taking me last minute shopping.”
“Do you still need anything?”
The girl smiled. “We ordered a blanket. Embroidered with his claws and my gloves.”
Ororo cocked an eyebrow. “That’s kind of sweet, actually. In a... very weird way.” She winked. “Have fun. And don’t have your baby in the mall. Jean would have a stroke.”
“Gonna go and try some of those induction techniques, then.” Grinning wildly, she left, leaving Storm to shake her head with a small smile.
Marie had the blanket on her lap, picking at imagined specks with her nails and smiling serenely. She sat in the passenger’s seat of the convertible Logan had... borrowed from Scott for their little outing, as Logan leaned against the hood, smoking a cigar.
“It’s so pretty.” She looked up, smiling widely. “Thanks, sugar. I love it.”
Logan smirked. “Anything to please ya.” He shot her a glance out of the corner of his eyes and she saw his nostrils flare briefly. “Darlin’, I think we should get you home.”
“Why? I’m o-“
With an audible pop, her waters broke, drenching the car seat and her skirt in hot wetness.
“Oops.” She grinned, picking at the fabric of her skirt with her fingertips. “Scott is going to have a fit.”
“Tough luck. Shouldn’t let us borrow his car, then.”
“Well, we didn’t exactly borrow it, did we?” Another grin, but then it melted from her face and she gripped the door handle. “Ooooh...”
Logan slid into the driver’s seat, rolling his eyes. “Why won’t you ever listen to me.”
Back at the Mansion, Logan led her up the stairs to their room, and she actually giggled when they bumped into Bobby and Logan growled at him, making Bobby jump a foot.
Once in their room, she leaned against the wall, panting through a contraction. They were coming fast and strong, and she felt a little dizzy. “Sugar, could you get me some ice? It’s freakin’ hot in here.”
He slipped away to get ice and water, and Marie got in the shower, needing to cool off a little. Concentrating on the contraction, she noticed they were only 3 minutes apart, and a flare of panic seized her.
I can’t do this, she thought. Something’s gonna happen.
But as she leaned her head against the tiles, breathing deeply, she saw the birth in front of her, and smiled. It would be perfect.
Two hours later, she lay on the bed, on her side, breathing through the longest contraction yet. “I hate you,” she panted, her head falling back. “I fucking hate you.”
Logan just smiled as he carefully wiped the sweat from her brow. “Yeah, well, you were the one who had this brilliant idea.”
“Couldn’t you have talked me out of it?”
“Why waste energy on that. I know ya too well.” He grinned. “Besides, this is making me feel all manly.”
End of Chapter 9