There was absolutely no way that her broken heart could have been fixed. She knew something was wrong from the beginning and when she found out, she knew that it was all too late.
She had woken up one morning to hear the sound of yelling coming from the bottom of the staircase downstairs on the main floor. It was summer vacation and most of the students were long gone and only the X-Men and the professor were still in the mansion.
She got up, still trying to adjust from the bright light that was shining through her window.
She headed towards the door, opened it, and peered out. There didn't seem to be anyone there.
Then she took a few steps and once again heard the sounds and was able to figure out, by concentrating, which mutant it belonged to.
Scott, Logan, and Jean.
Without being noticed, she quietly sat near the wooden bars of the staircase up on the 2nd floor and listened and witnessed the scene before her. By now she was becoming wide awake.
"I TOLD YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM MY GIRL!!!!!!!!" screamed a very upset Scott Summers at a very shocked looking Logan.
"Scott, stop it!" replied Jean as she stood in front of Logan protecting him, "Please, can we all just be calm?"
"Calm?! HOW THE HECK CAN I REMAIN CALM WHEN I WALK INTO OUR ROOM AND FIND THE WOMAN OF MY DREAMS AND THE PERSON I HATE THE MOST ALL OVER EACH OTHER!!!!!"
"Hey, bub," Logan said surprisingly calmly, "I swear that I didn't mean for anything of this to happen."
"Oh you didn't did you? I've had my eyes on you since the very beginning and all you have ever done was fight and flirt with Jean."
"Scott-"
"No!" Scott yelled as he cut her off. By now he was crying and had the worst look of agony across his face. "And you," he continued pointing at Jean, "I loved you and I can't believe that I trusted you. For God's sake I was going to marry you and you were going to be my wife and we were going to raise a family together!! But you want to know what? You mean nothing to me now. And listen when I say this. You are going to pay back for all of this and so are you Mr. All-High-And-Mighty-Big Shot!!!!"
"Cyke," Logan began.
"No. I don't want to hear it I'm leaving."
"Scott don't," said Jean trying to refrain him from the front door by grabbing his arm but he just pulled away.
"No," Scott said as he held on to the doorknob and looked back at Logan, "You were wrong, you know? Congratulations!! She chose you. Not me. And you really can bet that-"
He was cut off guard as something caught his eyes. He looked up towards the staircase and saw the young teen staring back at him in shock and confusion. She had tears rolling down her cheeks but yet she failed to either flinch or make a sound.
Scott understood why and he was even more hurt than before since he just realized that the incident that had just happen didn't only affect him but other people they cared about as well too.
Jean and Logan looked from Scott and followed his gaze until they saw her too.
"Marie…" Logan shuddered in shock under his breath. He was almost on the brink of tears. A look that one wouldn't expect from the Wolverine.
Scott gave Rogue a look of sympathy and then stared back down at Logan. He saw how Logan and the young girl's gaze was locked in position and there was much inner conflict involved. He wanted no more part of this and wished her the best since he knew that she was one of the people that could not escape from this horrible dilemma.
Scott turned the doorknob open and told Logan in a harsh voice, "Have a nice life," before taking a quick glance at Jean and then Rogue.
He then shut the door with a loud bang.
There was a long pause where everyone was trying to gather their thoughts.
"Oh my gosh!! Scott!!!!" Jean said after one quick glance back at Rogue and then to the door as she tried to run after him but failed. By the time she got to the garage, the car had left and was leaving the driveway and turning the corner away from the mansion.
Logan was now down there all by himself.
"Marie," he said as he started to advance up towards the stairs.
With a gulp, Marie carefully let go of the staircase handle, got up, and backed away slowly never taking her eyes off of him. She could sense his every motion and every intention.
"Marie, listen to me," he said now reaching the first steps.
She turned and ran back to her room. All the way, she heard him running up the stairs at full speed behind her and calling her name.
Just as she reached her room, got in, and locked the door, Logan had caught up. He began pounding the door and yelling for her pleasing if she could just listen to him.
"Marie, darling," he said. He sounded as if he was crying and in pain. "Please let me talk to you. I need to. I need you. Don't do this to me. What you saw…I can explain. Please open up, baby. Please. Marie."
Marie practically out of breath from running so much, put her back against the door and fell to the floor. There she cried to herself with her head in her hands into the night. All that could be heard where the pleas from the man she loved most trying to explain himself while she knew that his words were all no good and that it was all her fault because now he would never know how she really felt. It was all too late.
"Marie," Logan pleaded at the door. He really didn't mean to do any harm. Even though he hated to admit it, he had strong feelings for the young girl and the last thing that he would ever consider doing was hurting her. He just couldn't do anything about it since she was so young.
He was aware of her crush on him and knew that it was something that couldn't easily go away.
He started to remember the events that had occurred.
He was just walking through the hallways when a hand reached for him and pulled him into the room.
It was dark and he sniffed to get a scent.
It was Jean and Scott's room.
His deep intensions told him that this was all very wrong but his ability to do anything about it and his mind began to grow weak for some unknown reason.
Then he saw her.
Jean.
He just wanted to leave but before he got the chance to, she put a finger to his lips and said, "Don't worry, Scott won't came be coming back for a while."
And with that she reached aggressively at him and gave him a forceful and passionate kiss.
He tried to pull away thinking to himself that this was just some big misunderstanding. But every time he tried, she just drew him in closer.
How could he have let these things happen? All that he had felt for her was a crush and that was all. He also thought it gave him a certain amount of pride since he could now give the young One-Eye another reason to hate him.
Could Jean possibly believe that what he had felt for her was real or did she really want to get away from Scotter?
She pushed him onto the bed.
All that he could do was push her away so he could get his chance to run out of the room. After all, this wild Wolverine was a fast one.
He managed to do that but as he turned, she pushed him back onto her and soon the noise of a door handle opening and a click of a light switch was heard.
Uh-oh.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" yelled Scott.
"Scott. Oh-I-um-didn't know you were coming back so soon," replied Jean Grey.
"I don't believe this!" Scott said as he ran down the hallway.
"Scott!" Jean yelled after him.
Soon they were both following him.
Alas, that is where our story first began.
Standing outside of Marie's room now, he knew that he had just broken the young girl's heart with a simple misunderstanding. He knew that he wouldn't easily be forgiven and he knew that there were high chances that he was about to lose the one thing that he cared about most.
Outside, no one saw as Jean stared at Scott pull out from the driveway.
When he was out of sight, her eyes glowed in the bright sunlight and she looked up to a tree as if she was adoring the sky. But it felt more like there was someone or something up there.
"Time to get down to business," she said out loud smiling before she headed back into the mansion.
"Marie? I know that you can hear me. Open up, darling! Open up!" Logan said as he tried to open the handle but couldn't since it was securely locked.
Dang! Boy, did she want some privacy!
Marie just laid on her bed clutching the dog chain around her neck. Why doesn't he just give up?, she asked herself.
Logan kneeled on the floor, giving up, and said, "Marie, if you ever need me, then just talk to me please. Can you do that darling?"
Suddenly after a minute or two it all stopped.
There was no answer.
Marie lifted her head and felt that something was wrong.
He got up sadly and began to walk down the hallway.
As he was walking he felt a sudden impulse on him. With his canine like senses, he sniffed the air, and felt something familiar. All too familiar.
That's when he remembered what it was and saw Jean turn the hallway making her way towards him with perfect poise.
"You!! How could you?"
Right before him he saw the doctor turn into the real blue-scaled woman she was.
"Logan, you never seize to amaze me."
"Do you know what you have just done?"
"Oh, yes. Quite frankly I do.'
"Why did you do that?" he said once again with a gruffly voice.
"Maybe just to do this," she said quickly and sharply kicking him in the face and pushing him towards the wall.
She yelled, "Now!" and released him just in time for Sabertooth to come through before the Wolverine came out with his claws and was ready to take a slash at her.
As they fought, Mystique ran down the hall to find Toad banging the door open.
Inside, Marie was crawled up in a corner in the bathroom and was quite aware what was now actually truly going on.
Her mind was thinking too much all at once.
Logan was innocent…But he was with Jean… No, he was with-Mystique?...How did she get in here?... Were there more members of the Brotherhood with her?...Why here?...Why Logan?...Did he really care about her and was he really sorry?... What was actually going on?
All her thoughts had been stopped when she heard the banging on her door earlier. Scared as she was, she ran into the bathroom and locked her door.
Deep down inside she was hoping that her knight in shining armor would come and save her but he did not come. She didn't care about what happened earlier, she just wanted Logan with her now and the noises outside her door were getting louder and louder. She felt her heart pulling in her. Ever since the first touch she was able to have the ability to feel all the Wolverine's pain.
She cried for him at that spot and couldn't budge. In her head, she could only feel worse and worse.
LOGAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She screamed in her mind as she heard Toad and Mystique barge into her room and into the bathroom.
She stared at Mystique in her eyes. She was full of evil but there was something else about her.
"Long time no see," the blue lady told her as Toad came from behind and put a bag over her like he had done before..
She screamed Logan's name aloud and immediately Logan reacted by screaming, "MARIE!!!"
With that he was thrown down to the floor and off the balcony onto the first floor where he had laid unconscious.
Marie still was screaming while she was being carried by Toad who opened fully and jumped out her window with Mystique behind swinging and climbing down the tree like an acrobat.
Marie wish that she had enough guts to defend herself but she felt so confused and weak that she couldn't do much.
Sabertooth just jumped back down and landed with a THUD and left. Logan sat up and shook his head and then he remembered Marie screaming.
He got up and ran up the stairs.
"MARIE!!!" he yelled as he ran up the stairs and into her room. He looked around and said, "Oh god," when he realized that she was gone.
"No…no!!!" he told himself as he looked out the window that was open. He ran to it and realized that there was absolutely no one in sight.
"CHARLES!!!!!" Logan yelled as he ran into the underground lair of the mansion.
He went and tried to open Cerebro and it wouldn't budge. He went into the Danger Room and went up to the control room. After frantically pressing button after button, he finally managed to hear Cerebro open.
"Welcome, Professor," it said.
He ran back down and into the room where the mutant tracking device, Cerebro, was. There was Charles tied up to his wheelchair. His hands and feet were tied up with ropes and his mouth was covered in masking tape. Over his head was the mutant tracking device.
"Oh god. Charles?" Logan yelled as he went to the generator and realized it was filled with a poisonous gaseous fume. He removed it and ran back to the Professor.
He took off the masking tape off his mouth and said, "Charles? Are you okay?" as he was trying to remove and untie the ropes from him and the head piece.
"I'm fine," the Professor added with a cough, gasping for air.
"I didn't see it coming," he continued.
"They took Rogue," Wolverine exclaimed.
The Professor was now relaxing a little bit more and said, "I should have seen this coming,"
"What?" Wolverine asked frantically.
"Rogue is Mystique's daughter."
"WHAT?!" Wolverine said in shock.
"Mystique had her and before Magneto could let her, she put her up for adoption. Later, after when she was 5, they died and Mystique disguised herself as a woman named Deborah and adopted her. She was disguised and never told her the truth. When she was 13, she moved in with some family friends after believing and being told by them that Deborah had died when she really left to go and work full time for the Brotherhood.
"How come you never told me this before?" asked Logan now scared and worried.
"I wanted her to figure it out for herself."
"Well nice job Chuck because now she is gone."
"What happened?" yelled Storm coming into the big round room. Behind her were Jean and an unfamiliar character of a man with sharp teeth, sharp tail, markings all over his body, and purple-blue skin.
"Who the hell are you?" yelled Logan now losing his temper.
"Kurt Wagner but in the Munich Circus I was known as the incredible Nightcrawler. I-"
"Rogue's brother," Professor Xavier added.
"WHAT?!" Everyone exclaimed.
"I have a sister?" asked Kurt.
The Professor nodded.
"I can't…I lived alone all my life…I…wait a minute…what is a Rogue?"
Soon after, the Professor started the story once again and mentioned how before Rogue was born, Kurt was born and Magneto turned him into a mutant with a scientific experiment. Mystique was mad and fled from Magneto's lair and put Kurt in a basket and fled. Erik caught up and Mystique dropped the bundle into the lake over the bridge where he sailed to shore. A nice couple found him, took him, and made him part of their family. He grew up and for his appearance and acrobatic ability, he was joined into the Munich circus as "The Incredible Nightcrawler". He soon discovered growing up that he could transport from place to place. Sensing he had great power and a good heart, Charles had sent Storm and Jean out earlier that morning with the Blackbird to recruit him and offer him a position on the X-Men team.
"Well that explains a lot," Logan said.
"So what happened?" asked Jean.
Logan was about to explain until he saw Scott walk into the room furious.
"Charles, I-," he stopped and looked at everyone.
"Is something going on here?" he asked.
Logan then explained the History of Nightcrawler, Rogue, and the morning incident.
"What?!" Jean and Scott exclaimed.
"She passed as me?" Jean yelled.
"I yelled at you for nothing?" Scott asked in shock.
"Okay, for the record I will like to clarify some things in front of all of you."
Everyone listened.
"Scott, Logan, everyone. I love Scott and even through I can say-as well as many other girls-that Logan is cute, there is no way that we would ever hook up."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Logan said.
"Scott and I are married and we will never stop being in love with each other."
"Well thanks Jeannie but now is not the time for a lecture. Rogue is out there and she needs my help."
"I'd like to say something on Rogue's behalf," Storm spoke. Everyone turned to look at her. "Now I don't know what you, Logan, think of all this but I want to talk to you right now."
Logan had full attention on her now.
"But before I do that, all I will like to say is that the only thing that I see is a bunch of confused faces on all of you. Don't you guys understand? Rogue doesn't have any idea what is going on. All she can do is be hurt from what she saw this morning. We have to find out what Mystique wants with her as soon as possible. Rogue is older and her powers are more powerful than what they were before and they are going to keep growing until she can't control them. At least not without our help. No one seems to recognize that she is young and she is living in this harsh place full of chaos. We have to find her. Everyone stay here with Charles and try to locate her by using Cerebro. Logan, you and me need to talk."
"I have to go find her!" he yelled.
"I know. But I must discuss something very important with you first before things go any further out of hand. It is a personal matter that needs to be discussed with us alone."
"Fine. Lead the way, `Ro," Logan said sarcastically.
He followed her out into the entrance of the hallway and stood.
"What do you want to talk to me about?"
"Rogue. Are you in love with her?"
Logan was shocked. One of his deepest secrets was now known by someone other than himself.
"What point are you coming to?" he asked.
"Look, I just want you to answer my question. I don't know if you have already noticed this or not but Rogue is in love with you. I've seen the way she stares at you and how happy she gets when you are nearby. I've also realized how much you change whenever she is around. She tried to get close to you and tell you but you just shrug it off as if it was nothing and just ignored her. You are the only one she cares about and the only one who seems to return the same feeling is you. Just let me ask you, how many boys has she dated?"
"Two," Logan said still in a stock state, "One named David in Mississippi and that Bobby kid."
"And what happened to them?" Storm asked.
"Mississippi kid went in Coma and dumped her and Bobby kid was dumped by her.'
"Why was that?" Orono asked him impatiently.
"Because he liked Kitty?"
"There was another reason."
"There was?"
"You."
"Me?
"Logan," Storm said seriously, "She talked to me a few times about the issue and with Bobby. She told him they couldn't go on any further not because of her skin or him liking Kitty, but because she would be living a lie."
Logan was confused.
"She said that she wasn't in love with him. She was trying too hard but knew she never would be able to. All she felt from his was friendship."
Logan stared in shock as Storm continued.
"He understood this and how she felt for you. It was undeniable."
"And that's what happened?"
"Yes. They are still friends to this day. Logan, she still loves you and this is something that nothing can stop. It's more than just a little crush. It's true love. It's obvious that you care for her since you are always going to her before anyone. You spend all the time you have with her whenever you get the chance. And when you aren't, you are trying to pre-occupy yourself by chasing after Jean and hurting her. Logan, what is going on?"
"It's true," he said hopelessly, "I tried to hide the fact…I'm in love with her. When I first met her she was just kid but to me she has always been something more. I guess that even despise how much she grew up, I mean now she's 19 and all, I tried to not to face the fact but I have noticed. She's all I have `Ro. I don't want to lose her. She's all I have to care about."
"Then go and tell her that. Go find her after you know where she is and tell her. This whole mix-up and confusion of the relationship between you and Jean are tearing her apart. She loves you. You love her. You love each other."
"You're right," Logan said getting up, "I'm going to find her. Thanks `Ro."
"Good. And be careful okay?"
"I will."
He was walking towards Cerebro when it opened and Charles wheeled out with everyone else behind him.
"She's at Magneto's lair up in the mountains about 5 hours away from here."
"I'm going to go find her," said Logan, "I'll take the black van and get and some of her stuff."
"We can help you," said Scott.
"I can do it alone," said Logan.
"It'll be too though," replied Jean.
"Stay out of this, all of you. This is something that only I can take care of."
He shot Storm a smile which she returned.
"Now if you excuse me," he went out to the elevators and arrived at the second floor. He found her empty suitcase and found some clothes to put in there. While he was searching her drawers, he found a picture of the both of them together and smiled.
"Comin' darlin'," he said to himself and with that he ran down the stairs and out the front door.
It took hours to drive, nearly 2 whole days straight since he was without the jet, but Logan eventually made it to Magneto’s lair through the coordinates the Professor had instructed.
Please still be alive and okay, Logan said to himself.
He had to save her.
Hiding the van in the bushes of the nearby woods, he got out and began running to the entrance of the compound but it was locked.
“Dangit!” he said, noticing a nearby loose boarded window that he could fit in.
It was no or never.
Meanwhile, Marie had been tied up to a metallic pole.
“This is not happening,” she told herself out loud, “Not again.”
She was in the inside of a machine similar to that of the one Eric tried to use during the Liberty Island incident.
He’s going to try to turn everyone into mutants again!
She had to get out.
She tried the handcuffs but they wouldn’t work.
“My, my child. Don’t you know that you are never going to get yourself out of here?”
She turned her head to face an all too familiar Mystique.
“And how would you know?” she said trying to sound brave.
“I know more than you may actually think,” she said somewhat seeming seductive.
Marie for some reason believed Mystique. She did seem to have known something more. Maybe, just maybe, Marie could get it out of her.
“What do you mean?” she said eyeing her suspiciously.
“Your past.”
“What about it?”
“You were born with the name Marie- not Rogue. When you were born, you were put up for adoption. When you were young your foster parents died transferring to yet another family. Your new mother’s name was Deborah. She left you some years later,” Mystique paused before beginning again, “And you moved in with some of her old neighbor friends.”
Marie was shocked, “How do you know all this?” she said angrily.
Mystique put her hand on her shoulder, “I’m your mother,” she said looking into her eyes.
Memories began to flood in her mind. “No, no, no, it can’t be,” Marie cried in through her tears.
“But it sadly is,” Marie said with some hurt in her voice, “I always wanted my little girl to grow up to be something special but I never thought she’d change the world,” she said giving a smile.
“You were never there! I hate you! I hate you!”
“More on the contrary. I was. What? I haven’t told you yet? I was Deborah.”
“No…NO!!!!”
Just then Magneto walked in, “Oh, how touching, a family reunion. Like mother,” he said turning to Mystique and then to Marie, “like daughter.”
“Who’s my father?” Marie yelled.
“Don’t even start with me! He left long before you were born. What you’ve never been in love?’
Marie tried to fight back her tears.
“There is no such thing as love. Men will grab you and make you feel as if you are on top of the world just to leave you a moment later all alone and in misery. You wouldn’t want to live like that would you?” she exclaimed. Then Mystique stared at Marie like she was scanning her, figuring her out, and seeing right through her. What she saw made her smile. “Oh, I see, Logan, right?” she laughed her hideous laugh, “Him? You don’t stand a chance. You aren’t his type.
You’re nobody’s and never will be. You are nothing and you mean nothing to him, “Where is he now? Where is he to save you?”
The machine slowly started and through her eyes, blurred with the stinging of non-stop tears, she could see Magneto pull a lever making the powerful source rise up to the ceiling where a hole opened it allowing it room to go up to the dark afternoon sky.
“So long,” she whispered.
“I’d say no!” Logan said entering the doorway.
“Looks like we have a Romeo in the play after all,” Magneto exclaimed.
“Let her go, bub!”
“Never.”
“I thought I had taken care of you.” Mystique said.
“You never will be,” Logan said as he began to move forward but Mystique attacked him. “This is going to be fun,” she said as she kicked him and a fight began.
“That leaves you and me,” Magneto said as he placed his hands on her face to transfer his powers.
“No!” she yelled.
“Marie!” Logan yelled. Seeing a giant shovel in the portion of the cave he took it and knocked Mystique unconscious.
Magneto fell weak.
Wolverine must be stopped, he thought.
Quickly, Logan stood up and turned the machine off and ran to Marie and with his claws released her causing her to fell with a faint before.
Magneto laughed pulling out a gun from a nearby shelf, “Let’s see if you can stop me now. I knew it would come to this. This here is full of hot adamantium metal. You can never defeat it since no matter who you are it will burn you.”
Eric hadn’t realized it but then he took, it he had dropped another.
Marie crawling on the floor tried to reach for it.
“Say goodbye, Wolverine.
“No!” Marie said as she took all of her last strength to shoot Magneto who fell back on a balcony and crashed into the waves below.
With that, Marie collapsed on the floor.
She saved my life, Logan told himself, She saved my life again.
Now Marie was not moving.
“No…Marie?” Logan said picking her up into his arms, “It’s okay. It’s all over now. Wake up. Please, darling.”
She didn’t move.
Logan cried and screamed, “Why God? Why did you have to take her away from me again?”
He looked down at her and said whispering, “I love her.” He then checked her pulse. To his surprise, there was still a little left but just barely.
Without a second thought, he leaned forward and kissed her lips. For a moment there was passion and pure bliss. Then there was pain. Logan felt the energy and life being drained out of him.
Marie finally snapped open her eyes and pushed him away where he lay unconscious.
Marie gasped and looked at all the destruction around her and then at Logan.
“Oh no!” she crawled her way towards him. Being careful of her deadly touch, Marie tried to gently waken him.
“Logan? Sugah? Wake up. Logan?”
He wasn’t breathing.
Marie lowered herself into his stomach where his uniform separated them and wept.
“Logan? Please, I love you. So don’t leave me here all alone. Please?”
It seemed like time was standing still and she was all alone in the universe.
How could this have happened?
She remembered how when she was brought back to life. She had found him kissing her on the lips. He was so gentle and she had just loved every part of him and something in her had still yearned for him.
Could this mean that-
No it was not the time to be thinking such things.
All she could do was cry.
Suddenly she was shocked when she felt a hand touch her hair. She looked up to see Logan smiling and opening his eyes.
“Marie?” Logan mumbled.
Careful not to touch him, she leaned up to face him.
“I’m here Logan. I’m here,” she said struggling.
“I love you, Marie.”
Then she cried some more as Logan whispered into her that it will all work out okay and she didn’t have to worry since he was there and no harm would ever come to her as long as he was around.
After a while, Logan asked her to get off him so he could get up. Marie helped out with what she could.
Once they were up and standing in front of each other, Logan removed a strand of hair off her face.
“Hey darlin’,” he said using a gloved hand to pick up her chin so he could look into her eyes.
His heart ached as he saw the tears well up in her eyes. He felt all the pain that she had gone through.
“I meant what I told you Marie. I love you,” he said looking into her eyes.
He noticed how she was shaking and couldn’t say hardly anything.
Oh gosh, he thought, she must still be in shock after everything that happened earlier.
“I won’t hurt you,” he said as he leaned forward.
She slightly shook her head.
“The moment I feel a pull, I’ll let go. I promise,” he replied before kissing her.
The few seconds of bliss came until once again he felt the life sucking out of him and Marie pulling away.
“I’m okay don’t worry, darlin’,” he assured her giving her a hug after he gathered himself up.
“Let’s get you out of this place, huh?” he said.
He then put an arm around her and led her out of the lair and walked with her to where he had parked the van.
This wasn’t ending up like any of them wanted it to be.
Most of the trip had been silent and Logan couldn’t help looking at Marie who appeared to be in a state of shock.
It was getting too late out and they were going to have to stop soon enough for some rest, Logan thought. He knew that he was running the risk that the Brotherhood would be going after him but he was willing to take it. Marie and him were exhausted and they needed a moment of peace to calm down. Just about half a mile up the road they were on, Logan spotted a motel.
“Think we should stop for the night?” he asked softly.
Marie just looked up ahead with her watery eyes and shrugged.
“Okay,” Logan said as he parked the car, “We need to get some good rest before leaving again tomorrow.
Logan checked them in as Marie followed him like a dead zombie causing many people to stare their way.
If they only knew what she has gone through, Logan thought to himself.
“C’mon,” he said putting an arm around her waist and while carrying their suitcase and backpack with his other shoulder.
He was always a very light packer. Living in the wilderness, did that for him.
“Here we are, darlin’,” he said opening the door and turning on the light switch near the door, “Sit down alright? I’m just going to make a phone call.” He then moved towards the phone that was on the table nest to the bed, sat down, and flipped through the yellow pages.
“For what?” Marie said with a crackly voice.
“Well, we need to eat, darlin’, right?” he said with his eyes skimming a few pages.
Marie just stared down at the floor.
“Pizza sound alright to you?” he asked. He looked up and noticed she wasn’t answering.
“Marie?” he repeated.
“Huh?” she said finally hearing him.
“Does pepperoni and cheese sound good to ya?”
“Pizza?”
He nodded.
“Sure…okay,” she responded.
Logan nodded again in agreement when he noticed Marie playing with her gloves which was a normal nervous habit she had.
Even thought he didn’t show it, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.
“I’m going to..ah-go change..” she said quickly getting up nervously and getting a few things from her suitcase.
“You go ahead,” he said before sitting down and dialing the order.
3 or so minutes later, Marie came out to find Logan waiting and lying on the bed with his hands covering his face.
“Hey,” she said silently.
“Hey, he answered back looking up and smiling at her, “Pizza guy said he’d be here in about 30 minutes.”
Marie just nodded and sat next to him on the bedside.
Because they were low in the budget at the moment, they decided on getting just one bed.
Logan realized that she was now wearing her nightgown that had Teddy Bears on it. He smiled to himself knowing that after what had happened that day, as long as she looked and felt comfortable, she would be okay. And that whole statement would not be proven true until he talked.
It’s now or never, he said to himself. He knew that they were too tired and all but he needed to get it out of his way so that they could both feel at peace.
“Hey…um…darlin’? We need to talk.”
Marie froze for a moment but then replied looking out into space, “What about?”
“Today, You, Me…Us,” he said sitting up with his back against the headboard.
Marie just stayed silent.
“Look…um…that morning. What you heard about me and Jean being together…it ain’t true.”
“I know.”
That’s good, he thought. At least she had an understanding. Maybe this would be easier than he thought.
“It was Mystique. Right?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you give in?”
“What?”
Marie turned to stare at him face to face, “Did you get very far? You know, like…did anything happen?…”
Whoa, he wasn’t expecting her to put it that way. She was waiting for an honest answer and an honest answer was what she was going to get.
“No. Not really. She posed as Jean and tried to come on to me-”
“Did you fall for it?” she asked nervously cutting him off.
“Yeah but I knew I had to get away so I pushed her off me. I tried to get away. I swear. But-just as I was about to leave the room she grabbed me again and Scooter walked in.”
Marie just nodded knowingly.
Logan moved closer to her and put one of his gloved hands on her shoulder, “You believe me right darlin’?”
Marie took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and sighed, “Yeah. I do. Only my-” she stopped herself in mid sentence. Mystique was no mother to her. She might’ve had the same blood running through her veins but that meant nothing compared to what she had done to her. Marie swore to herself to never think of her as a mother. Ever. Not even over her dead body.
“What darlin’?” Logan asked concerned.
Marie looked away and closed her eyes again. She had to trust him. She swallowed before saying, “Mystique-she told me something that really bothered me. I don’t know whether to believe her or not.”
“What did she say?” Logan tried to hold back his anger. He had always hated Mystique but now he hated her even more. She had been toying with Marie.
“She said…she said…” she started.
“Marie, tell me,” he said grabbing her shoulders and looking into her eyes.
“She said that she was my mom,” Marie broke down and Logan grabbed her into his embrace as she continued to sob.
“Please-please tell me it isn’t true,” Marie begged.
“Marie…”
“She also said that she posed as one of my adoptive mothers too. One of the nice ones actually…”
“Marie…”
“Tell me!” Marie said hysterically. She couldn’t calm down, “Tell me that none of it’s true!”
Logan hesitated before grabbing Marie and placing her in the way so she was sitting and facing him.
“I want you to listen to me and listen to me closely, okay?” he asked.
She only nodded.
With a deep breath, he began,” Marie…what she said…that she is your mom…” it broke his heart to say it, “It’s true. Charles told me…but hear me out okay? Just because she gave birth to you and had her in her tummy don’t mean diddly squat. What she has done to you with the Brotherhood, well…there just ain’t no excuse for it. It was wrong and what happened was crap. A mother would never kidnap her kids and make her go through the amount of torture and pain that she did to you. You aren’t worth that. You deserve better.”
Marie sniffed before looking up at him, “Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Then what do you think is better for me,” she asked curiously.
“Well for starters, it’s good that you are staying at Charles’s place, studying, and getting good grades. You are nice and opening up more so you now making a couple of friends. That’s good. Someday, you’ll grow up, get a good job, raise a family…” Logan said before he got cut off.
“Like that’s ever going to ever happen,” Marie said wiping the stained tears off her cheeks, “Like who would ever want to be with me?”
“I would,” Logan said without a second thought.
“Logan…” she started.
“Listen again, okay?” he said taking her gloved hands into his big rough ones, “Back there, when we were in the lair…when I kissed you…I wasn’t lying. I love you Marie. No matter what. I know that you do so too because I heard you cry when I was out of it so don’t try to lie. I know you. I ain’t the type to have bonds with anyone but I’ve got one with you and I ain’t gonna let it go. No chance in hell. You are the only one I care for. And I will fight for you even if it means death which is kinda hard but non the less I would if I could. Tell me you feel the same. Tell me that when we are together you do feel something. Something beyond what we are now.”
“I do, but-” Marie began before it was her turn to get cut off.
“Remember the promise I made to you before?”
“Yeah, but-”
“I meant it . I love you and I’ll take care of you forever.”
“But-”
“But what?”
“I’m afraid that I won’t be good enough for you. I mean, I have you inside my head.”
“Yeah. So?”
“I know your past with women and I don’t think that I could ever be like that.”
“But that’s good darlin’. Because you are better than any of the one night stands that I’ve had before knowing you. You are special.”
“My skin-“
“That’s the least of my worries right now. We’ll work around it. What’s important is that we trust and love each other.”
Marie was still partly in her shock state so she just nodding. Logan decided not to stress anymore the fact that they should be a couple so he decided to tell her something else.
“There’s something else you should know,” Logan said.
“What?”
“You have a brother. A half brother really.”
“WHAT?!”
Logan then went on to explain the oh-so familiar tale. He was pleased at how Marie seemed interested with every detail she heard about Kurt and how he was a good guy. She had even sympathy for him since they shared such similar tales.
“So he worked in the famous Munich Circus?”
“Yup. That’s what he says. With the rest of those freaks that jump around like bunnies, frogs, and stuff like that.”
That got a laugh from Marie.
“You are smiling. I like that.”
She continued to smile and said, “I’d like to meet him and get to know him better.”
Then there was a knock on the door and the pizza came. While they ate, they had a quiet chat and laughed at each other’s jokes like nothing had happened. They cleared the mess and got ready for bed.
Logan was already under the covers when Marie came in from the bathroom and crawled in. Logan was surprised when she just snuggled her head into his chest, that he had covered with a white shirt for safety.
“Logan?” she said sleeply.
“I love you too”
“I love you darlin’,” he said before kissing the top of her head where her hair was and with one hand reaching to turn off the table lamp before all went black.
3 years had gone by ever since the very unfortunate encounter with Mystique and the Brotherhood.
Marie had been training to control her powers and all seemed to be going well. Every now and then she was able to manage to control them but sometimes failed. At each point of weakness, Logan had always been found right by her side.
They had grown closer causing their friendship, as well as their relationship, to evolve.
This is what they wanted.
She was older and they found ways around her skin and at times were even intimate.
She loved him and he loved her.
What could possibly go wrong?
Tears drew in Marie’s eyes.
This couldn’t be happening.
Could it?
Positive.
The test was positive.
The pregnancy test.
Marie couldn’t remember how long ago it had been since she started to stare at it but it seemed like forever.
There was a knock on the door.
It was Jean.
“Rogue? Are you alright?”
There was no answer.
“Is everything okay in there?”
Marie got up and unlocked the door of the bathroom.
“What did it say?” asked Ororo.
Marie didn’t say anything but just handed Jean the test.
Jean looked down with a gasp of disbelief. She closed her eyes and showed it to Ororo who muttered, “Oh god…”
Thinking quickly, Jean said, “Umm…congratulations.”
Marie just nodded like she was lost in a daze.
Worried, Jean said, “Rogue? Please come and sit down and relax. Take a few deep breaths okay.”
She then sat down in what appeared to be a dentist-like chair.
Storm found a blanket and covered Rogue with it while Jean put all the test stuff away.
“Get some rest, okay?”
Marie nodded and slowly she drifted off.
About 5 hours later, Marie awoke to find her back in her room.
She blinked a few times to get adjusted to the light before she remembered of the events that had occurred earlier…
Earlier that day…
It was morning and Marie had just woken up. She now shared a room with Logan so she mumbled his name and turned to where she would usually find him to realize that he was gone. There on the pillow was a mini post-it note.
Rubbing her eyes, she took the paper and held it up so she could see it.
Marie,
Darlin’, I hate to be leaving you like this but Chuck has sent me, Kurt, and Scott, on a min-mission in town. I won’t be long and I’ll probably be back tonight or even maybe late afternoon. Take care.
Love you,
Logan
P.S.
When I say that I love you, I really mean it. Don’t you ever forget it.
Marie put it down and smiled.
Her Logan.
Always short and straight and to the point.
They had been through so much together over the last years that one would think that they had seen it all.
Slowly she sat up to feel a sharp pain in her head and then her stomach.
Not again, Marie thought to herself.
Then all the sudden she was overcome with nausea and she sprinted to the bathroom.
This was happening more and more constantly lately.
What was wrong with her?
She cleaned and rinsed herself off with a towel near the sink. As she dried her face, she looked up to the mirror and saw herself in disgust.
All these strange feelings must just be the stomach flu, she told herself. She then got dressed and went downstairs to meet Jean, Ororo, Bobby, Remy, Jubilee, and Kitty who were all in the kitchen.
“Guten morgen,” replied Kurt.
“Hey,” she said. She had become very close with her brother since she came back to the mansion with Logan after the Mystique incident.
“Would you like some orange juice?” Jubillee asked.
“I’m really not hungry,” Marie responded.
“Oh, c’mon. You’ve gotta have something,” Bobby pinched in.
“He’s right, ya know?” Kitty said.
“Fine,” Marie said giving in as she was sitting now in one of the stools at the counter. Marie then began to listen at Kitty and Jubes discussion on the latest Jennifer Lopez rumor when her nausea started again.
Remy noticed the uncomfortable look on her face and asked, “Is there anything wrong, chere?”
“I---I don’t know,” Marie said.
“You look pale,” Jean stated.
“Are you sick?” began Ororo.
“I,” Marie started before she fell weak out of her chair. Thankfully, Remy was there to catch her, She hadn’t passed out but she had the most uncomfortable feeling like she couldn’t control herself.
“Quick,” Ororo started “take her to the lab,” she informed Remy.
“You all stay here and watch the kids. We’ll take care of this,” Jean informed them. That’s when storm, Jean, and Remy left the room while a bunch of nervous and confused faces watched in wonder.
Rogue blinked to find herself in one of the lab table beds.
What happened? She asked herself.
Just then she saw Jean walking over to her.
“Hey. How are you feeling?”
“What happened?”
Just then Storm appeared and exchanged glances with a nervous Jean.
Trying to sit up but failing to do so, Marie asked, “Tell me what’s wrong with me.”
Jean sighed and said, “Storm? Has Remy left already?”
Storm nodded and Jean looked back at Rogue with sympathy in her eyes.
“Rogue, what I’m about to tell you…it is a very delicate topic.”
“What are you talking about?”
“First, answer something, okay?”
“Sure what?”
Jean exchanged looks with Storm again and took a deep breath, “Now I know that you are not as young as you used to be but young is still young and…”
“Spill it. You’re beginning to sound like Scott.”
Jean smiled and continued by saying, “What I need to know is that are you and Logan…you know…having an intimate relationship?”
“What?” Marie asked taken aback from what Jean had just said.
“Storm and I,” there she paused and exchanged looks with Ororo and said, “Have reason to believe that you are pregnant with Logan’s child.”
Marie bolted straight up and all and looked at the both of them, “WHAT?!”
“Your symptoms…they are all normal for pregnancies.”
“It just can’t be. I just…I am?!”
“Jean is right. Your nausea, differences in your diet, headaches…all symptoms.”
“Is there any more weird stuff going on?” Jean asked.
Marie thought for a moment and then said, “Oh, crap. I’ve been about a week late.” Storm nodded and replied, “Yet another symptom.”
Marie sunk back down in silence and put a hand on her stomach.
Was she really pregnant?
She always wanted a family with Logan but this was just too soon for her. Logan.
Oh no.
How was she going to tell him about this? How would he take it? Would he be mad at her? Would it be an end to an already fairytale romance?
“Get some rest and when you wake up, I want you to take this pregnancy test. From there we can decide what kind of tests I can do to confirm or if there isn’t any need since you could just have something else.”
“Like the stomach flu?”
“Possibly.”
And that’s what she did. She woke up 2 hours later and made herself go through the test.
It concluded their assumptions to be right.
She was pregnant.
Now came the difficult task.
She had to tell Logan and there was no turning back.
Later that night Marie found herself writing and sitting in the chair staring out the window wondering how his reactions would be.
Would he be overjoyed? Would he be angry? Would he face tell to get rid of it?
No! She refused. She would have this baby no matter what. She was it’s mother and wasn’t willing to loose it.
Just them, the door creaked and Logan silently came in thinking she was asleep.
He spotted her and put down a bag near the foot of the bed before moving up to her and kissing her on the forehead, “Hey, darlin’. Why are you up so late? Shouldn’t you be in bed?”
Trying her best to be strong, she nodded and said, “Logan we need to talk.”
Logan took a seat in front of her and said, “About what,” as he began to play with her hair.
She didn’t even know where to begin, “Ummmm…”
“Marie, just tell me, okay?”
“Logan?”
“Yeah darlin’?
“I’m pregnant.”
She closed her eyes and tried to not imagine the look on his face.
He’s mad, she thought when he felt his hands pull away from her face.
“You- you are.”
She nodded and began to cry then and there.
All of the sudden she was surprised when she felt Logan take his hands into hers and kissed them through the gloves that she put on for just-in-case purposes of her skin.
“Logan?”
“Shh... I just never suspected it to be this soon. I thought we would’ve been married by the time that this would happen.”
“Logan…”
She couldn’t finish because he took her and grabbed her into a tight embrace.
Surprised, Marie hugged back and cried on his shoulder.
“Shhh. It’s okay. I love you. I’ll take care of you both.”
“Promise.”
“Yeah. I promise.”
Logan then took a deep breath and said out of nowhere, “Marie if I’d ask you to marry me, would you say yes?”
Marie sat up right, “Logan are you-?”
He nodded and said, “Would you marry me?”
“Yes Logan! I will.”
They kissed and hugged each other knowing that at least things for now would be alright.
It was just four months after they had gotten engaged that Logan and Marie got married.
There was a wedding held in the gazebo in the Institute's backyard.
Marie had chosen Kitty and Jubilee as her bridesmaids, Logan chose Hank to be his best man, and Kurt was to do the job of the wedding priest for them.
Everything had gone as planned and they had exchanged vows, opened presents, ate, and danced.
It was a dream come true.
Within five months, the happy couple was waiting for the arrival of their baby.
One night, they were sitting on the couch watching a movie. Everything was fine. Logan had one arm wrapped around Marie and her head was against his shoulders.
All of the sudden, Marie felt the baby kick which was followed by a sharp pain.
She then realized something else.
"Logan?" she said getting up and clutching her stomach.
"Yeah?"
"It's time."
"What?"
"My-my water broke."
"Are you sure? I mean you aren't due for at least another week or two."
"Yeah. I'm sure," she said. Then she looked into his eyes and took his hand, "We are going to have a baby Logan. Our baby."
"Yeah, darlin'. C'mon, I'll get you to the lab.
Then he sent a message to the Professor.
*Hey, Charles? Marie is ready to have the kid.*
*Congratulations! I'm sending Jean , Scott, Storm, and Kurt over to
you.*
*Thanks.*
*Don't mention it. *
Very soon, the sound of footsteps could be heard meaning that the group had arrived.
"Oww!" Marie said feeling some more pain.
"Hey, you okay?" Storm asked.
"Sorta," she said as Logan helped her stay up.
"Kurt? Can you please transport her to the lab?"
"Will do," Kurt said with his thick accent, "C'mon sis. You going to be a mother now,"
And with a poof of smoke in the air they were gone to the lab.
"Scott, stay with Logan. Wait outside. We'll call you if when we need to," replied Jean.
"I'm staying with her!" Logan proclaimed.
"Logan, It'll be okay. As soon as it's over, you can come in," said Scott.
"But, I…"
"Logan, trust me," Scott said, "It'll be okay."
*Logan,* the Professor said, *trust us.*
Giving it a quick thought Logan said, "Okay, let's go. Hurry!"
They all left to the lab and Jean and Storm came in while Kurt came out and said, "I'll go get ya something to drink ya?"
"Sure," Scott said with a smile.
He left and the only sound that could be heard was Logan as he growled and mumbled under his breath. While walking back and forth in front of the door.
"Logan?" Scott said nervously.
"What, Scooter?" he said sitting in a chair and putting his head in his hands,
"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry," he said taking a seat next to him.
"For what?"
"Judging you too hard when we met…Getting on your nerves…yelling at you for no good reason…"
"Oh."
"Yeah, well I'm sorry. I'm also especially sorry for that fact that I was skeptical over you being with Jean and that you and Rogue would never last. But, I guess I was wrong."
"Big time, bub." Logan said.
"Do you think that for the sake of everyone here, can you forgive me?"
Logan smiled to himself. So, he finally got the Scooter boy to apologize huh? Well this certainly was a day to celebrate.
"Yeah. I think so."
"Good, maybe we can be friends and hang out, watch sports, and do stuff together-"
"Don't push it," replied Logan with a smirk.
"We're back!" Kurt said juggling a little tray with coffee cups, "I also vought a vwiend."
"Congratulations, Logan," the Professor said rolling his wheelchair behind the bluish-purple man.
"Thanks chuck. I just wish that I could be in there and all."
"Here's some coffe for ya, ya?" Kurt replied holding up the tray.
"Thanks, bub."
"Your velcome. You, me, we are like buvvies and family. Vou now what I'm sayng, ya?"
"Yeah."
They drank their coffee and talked for about 4 hours. Then out of nowhere, Logan's head lifted and his ears heard a noise.
He heard the sound of a baby crying.
He was now a father.
"That's-that's my baby…"
Before the other's could reply, Storm came out and said, "Logan, congratulations! Marie has just given birth to a healthy baby girl."
Logan just stood there with the most shocked expression on his face.
He had a daughter.
He was a daddy!
Cheers came from the professor, Scott, and Kurt were heard as Logan asked, "Can I go in and see her?"
"Yeah, sure. But she's kinda out of it and is very tired so she'll need rest."
Logan opened the door and ran into the room.
"Hey," he said as he saw Marie on the hospital-like bed.
"Hey, sugah," she whispered in reply with her eyes almost closed.
"Congrats…I love you," he said as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead, "Are you feeling okay?"
"Yeah."
"Gosh, Marie. We are now parents," Logan said in disbelief.
"I know. Can you believe that?"
"It's like a dream," he said sitting in a chair next to her bed and taking her hand and putting it to his cheek.
"A dream come true," Marie finished off.
He kissed the knuckles of her hand and asked, "Where's our baby girl?"
Before she could reply, Jean came in carrying it, "Here she is. All nice and clean. So who wants to hold her first? Mommy or daddy?"
"Marie can."
Marie gave him a look and through his eyes, he said it was okay. She smiled back and mouthed, "Thank you," as Jean bent forward to place it in her arms, in which he blinked back assuring there was no problem.
Marie took the baby in her arms and immediately emotions began to flood in her.
That was her and Logan's child.
"I'll leave you two with her so you can get acquainted. Let me know if you need anything," Jean said before leaving the room.
"Hey baby," Marie said as Logan watched in wonder at the perfect family portrait that laid before him, "It's me, your mama. How are ya, huh?"
The baby squirmed a little and tried to open it's eyes.
"I promise to take care of you and no harm will come to you okay? I'll never turn my back to you and I'll support your every decision you make. You'll always count on me as well as your daddy. He's the most handsome man on the planet and you're very lucky to have him. In fact, you can meet him right now."
Gesturing to Logan, she kissed the little girl's forehead and handed her to him.
Logan took it and was amazed to find her eyes open and a small smile escape.
"Hey darlin', how are you? I - I'm your daddy. I - I want you to know that you and Marie mean more to me than anything. I'll take care of you. I promise. No matter what. If you have a problem, you can come to me and I'll be there. Gosh, I love ya. Don't you ever forget that." Logan said taking a little hand wrapped around his finger.
"Logan?"
"Yean, baby?"
"Come here," Marie said patting an empty spot on the bed. He laid beside her and held their daughter.
"I never want this moment to end," Marie told him.
"Me neither, darlin'. This is how we are going to stay- a family that no matter what will never ever fall apart."
Closing her eyes into a state of sleep, Logan stared down at his two angels. He would watch over them.
They would always watch over each other.
Six years had passed since the birth of Logan and Marie’s child.
As usual, everything seemed perfect. Supposedly they had the perfect family, friends, and everything.
Sadly, happiness doesn’t last forever.
Marie had just dropped, Bridget, their daughter off at Uncle Scott’s room to play with him, leaving Marie to a break which was good due to the awful headache that she had. Jean hadn’t been there since she was told by Kurt that she was helping Ororo in the garden.
So, Marie thought that she’d look for Logan. He was in the garage working with the wood and tools helping Remy to fix some old chair and tables.
Turning the corner, Marie made her way towards the garage door. Slowly she began to open it and then an awful scene came upon her.
No. This can’t be happening, she told herself.
“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING WITH MY HUSBAND?!”
Earlier…
Logan had been working hard to fix an uneven table and fix the paint coating. Remy had gone off to get them a drink, so he seized the opportunity to clean up some of the tools that were lying on the workbench.
He heard the door open and said, “Hey Rem? Did you get me that Molson that I asked you for?”
“No. It’s just me Logan,” said Jean, “Ororo asked for an extra shovel so I came to get one.”
As she approached his area, his ears perked and he sniffed the air.
Something was terribly wrong.
Jean approached closer and Logan pretended to mind his business.
She was just behind him when he struck her and with his claws shred part of the shirt she was wearing. There was three large claw marks made by him from many years ago.
“Mystique,” he growled angrily.
“My, my, Logan,” Mystique said changing back to her normal form, “Where’s your manners? That’s no way to greet someone. Especially your mother-in-law.”
“You leave Marie out of this.”
“Geessh. Can a girl cut a break? I didn’t come here to talk about her.”
“Really? Then why did you come here?”
“You.”
“Me? No thank you.”
“Maybe this can help,” she said closing in on him and giving him a hard and passionate kiss.
Logan was struggling to let go and failed to hear the sound of the door opening.
Unfortunately, Mystique did and shifted back to her Jean form.
Then it was too late…
“I ASKED YOU WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY HUSBAND?!” an angry Marie yelled.
She felt tears sting in his eyes.
How could he? Marie thought to herself, How could he cheat on me?
Mystique changed back to her natural form.
“Tsk-tsk girl,” she said, “That’s no way for you to talk to you mother.”
“Shut up, you-” Logan started.
“What?” Mystique said.
“Enough!!” Marie yelled, “I can’t take this…Logan-I-I-can’t believe you did this to me.”
“But-I,” Logan started.
“That’s it!” Marie said as she left the room slamming the door behind her.
“Why don’t you got the fuck out of our lives and stay and stay out!” He said pushing her out of the door that led outside.
“Very well,” she said.
Logan slammed the door and ran his hand over his hair.
“Crap! What did I do?”
How could he have hurt Marie like that?
Outside Mystique smiled and laughed evilly.
“Surely, I’ll stay out of your lives but just not yet.”
“Bridget? Bridget?!” Marie cried frantically as she ran up the stairs.
Scott heard her and came out his room, “What’s wrong?”
“Where’s Bridget!?”
“Watching TV Why? Are you alright?.”
“I’ve gotta get here. The two of us are leaving.”
“WHAT?!”
“Logan…he cheated on me…,” she whispered. She could feel the tears already sliding down her cheeks.
“HE WHAT?!”
“No time to explain. I’ve got to get out of here before he finds me,” she said as she walked into the room. She took a few steps quickly into the room until she reached the T.V. area.
“Hi, mommy!” Bridget said waving happily. She was watching Sesame Street and had just been singing along numbers with the count.
“Hey, sweetie. C’mon we’re going to go for a little trip.”
“Why?”
“Because,” Marie answered picking her up and carring her out of Scott and Jean’s room to hers down the hall. While finding Scott on the way there, she said, “Don’t let Logan come up here.”
She then set Bridget on the bed and took out a suitcase and filled it with some of their clothes, a few little toys, and snacks.
“Is Daddy coming?”
“Uh….no.”
“Why?”
“Because.”
“Because why?”
“Because I said so!”
Marie gasped. She never had yelled at Bridget as long as she could remember. Now looking at her daughters’ hurt face, she was already regretting it.
“Mama?”
“Yeah…” Marie said after zipping up the case.
“Dada and you fought?”
“Yeah.”
Bridget jumped off the bed and placed her little arms around Marie and gave her a hug.
How did she ever learn to be this smart? Marie wondered.
“Let’s go okay?”
“Okay, mommy.”
Marie picked her up with one arm and carried the suitcase with the other.
“I already contacted the Professor,” Scott said walking with them, “He has a place where you can stay about 2 cities away if you like. Here’s the address and the keys to my car. You can use it,” he said handing it to her.
“Scott-”
“No need to thank me.”
“Bye, Uncle Scottie!”
“Bye, Bridget,” he said as they walked down the stairs to the front door.
“Oh by the way,” Marie said turning back to him, “Whatever you do, just don’t tell Logan.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t,” he assured her.
She gave a weak smile and walked out the door.
“SCOTT!” an angry Logan yelled.
“Hey, Logan,” the man with red, ruby glasses said from his desk. He was busy correcting papers.
Wow, I didn’t expect the math test to be that hard. Maybe there should be a grade curve. 5% bonus possibly…, he thought.
“Where’s Marie?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You know very damn well what I’m talking about so now tell me. Where is she?!”
“Look Logan, you are wasting your time,” Scott said putting down the papers he was on and running a hand through his hair. “You hurt her and she doesn’t want to talk to you. What you did---there just is no excuse for that.”
“Listen Scott,” Logan said lowering his tone. Scott was surprised by the amount of sorrow in his voice. “You’ve got to believe me. Nothing is quite as it seems.”
“Yeah? Well then, tell that to Rogue.”
“Please. You’ve got to believe me. Let me explain. Please?”
Hours later away at the Professor’s cabin, Marie had already settled Bridget and herself in when there was a knock at the door.
Bridget was watching T.V. but Marie signaled her to be quite and she obeyed.
Oh no. God, please don’t let it be Logan, Marie thought.
There was another knock at the door.
“Marie? Please open up! It’s Scott.”
“Uncle Scottie?” whispered Bridget.
Marie nodded and hesitated for a moment before opening the door.
“Scott, what are you doing here?”
“I need to talk to you.”
“It’s not a good time.”
“Marie, you can’t just hold all this anger inside. You need to talk to someone.”
Thinking Marie then asked, “Is Logan with you?”
“No. He’s back in the mansion with the Professor.”
“Good…come in.”
“Hi Uncle Scottie!” Bridget said running up to give him a hug.
“Hey!” Scott said.
“Wanna play with me?”
“Uh…not right now baby. Me and Uncle Scott need to talk first for a little while. Watch some TV until then, okay?” Marie said.
They walked into the kitchen area and sat at a table.
“So how’d you get here?” Marie asked.
“Blackbird. Storm dropped me off.”
“Why are you here?”
“ I talked to Logan and…”
“Stop—I don’t want to hear it.”
“But it isn’t what you think.”
“Yeah right!”
“Just listen okay? It was Mystique.”
“I know this.”
“Yeah. She disguised herself as Jean and…”
“Oh! Well don’t I get it now?” Marie said hysterically. “So as Jean she persuaded him. He still had feelings for Jean right? He must’ve bought into it. He just happened to take the opportunity that I wasn’t around to be with Jean right? Is that what this is all about?”
“Marie. I understand why you would think that but none of it is true.” Scott hesitated for a moment, “I never thought that I would say this but Logan actually truly loves you. Many years ago, Mystique did something similar, remember? I think that it was very awful and none of us can still figure out why she is doing this even after we put a stop to the experiment they were trying to do on you. But Rogue, you have got to believe me. Logan is dying back there. He needs you.”
Marie took a deep breath. Was it true what he had said about Logan? There was a good chance, but still he played along with Mystique’s game didn’t he?
“Mystique disguised herself as Jean, Jean was with Storm out in the garden. Logan sensed something was wrong and when he attacked her, she attacked him back with a kiss. That’s when you walked in.”
Marie just sat in silence.
“Rogue, you need to come home. You love each other and you need to think about your daughter Bridget.”
Marie looked through the doorway and stared out at Bridget.
Was he right?
“I know. But…how can I face him? What do I do? What do I say?”
“I know it’s hard and might take some time but please remember it was all Mystique’s fault and not Logan okay?”
She nodded.
“Good. If you don’t mind the Professor said that I could stay in one of the spare rooms tonight so I could drive you two home in the morning, alright?”
Marie nodded again.
“Okay, well… I’m going to go and check on Bridget,” he said getting up to leave.
As he went to go through the doorway, Marie said, “Scott?”
“Yeah,” he said turning to face her.
“Yeah. Um… thank you.”
He smiled and left leaving Marie to sit and think all to herself.
“Everybody?” Scott called out carrying a suitcase in through the front door, “We’re back!”
Behind him came Marie and Bridget hand-in-hand.
“Scott!” Jean said running over and giving him a hug. She let go and said, “Hi Rogue! Hi Bridget!”
“Hey,” Marie said.
“Hey, Aunt Jeannie!”
“Hi, sweetie. How ya doing?”
“Good!”
“Awwww….well that’s just great,” Jean said looking up at Marie who had a small smile on her face. Noticing that Marie might still be a little annoyed at her, she said, “C’mon, Scott. Let’s go. We’ll see you later okay?”
“Yeah,” Marie responded.
“Bye!” Scott said.
“Bye,” Marie said.
“Bye Scottie and Bye Jeannie!” yelled Bridget.
They waved and walked away.
“Now what Mommy?” asked Bridget.
“Well, let’ go and unpack upstairs shall we?” she said.
“Yeah!”
“Okay, Lets-“ she stopped as her heart skipped a beat when she saw Logan carrying a suitcase and walking down the stairs.
“-go,” Marie finished.
“Daddy!” said Bridget running towards him.
“Hey!” Logan said running down the stirs and putting his suitcase on the side of the steps. He then scooped his daughter up and said, “How ‘s my big girl doing huh?”
“Good. I missed you daddy.”
“I missed you too kiddo,” he looked up and locked eyes with Marie.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hi.”
“Hey, darlin’?’ he said to Bridget who was now playing with his hair, “Kurt is in the kitchen. He just baked some cookies with Storm and Remy. While they are in the oven, you can go play with them a little okay?”
“Okay,” she said giving him a quick peck on the cheek before running off.
There was a moment of silence where Marie and Logan just stared back at each other,
“Marie, I-”
“So,” she said looking at the suitcase, “You were leaving…again.”
“Yeah, but I was going to go look for you.”
“It’s a little too late for that don’t you think?”
“Darlin’…”
“Don’t ‘darlin’’ me, Logan. Enough is enough.”
“Look what happened was-”
“Scott already told me. I know the truth. I know everything.”
“Then why are you exaggerating this so much?”
“I’m not! I just… I don’t know okay? When we got married I thought that all my problems would just go away.”
“What are you trying to say Marie?”
“Now I’m not so sure. I don’t know what to believe anymore. I’m saying that I don’t feel like I used to anymore. It’s not like it used to be. I’m not happy anymore!”
“Are you saying-”
“I sometimes even wonder what would happen if you hadn’t come into my life in the first place and whether that would be better!!”
Logan and Marie just stared at each other in shock.
“Oh God… Logan…I didn’t mean to say that…I…”
“No. I heard you loud and clear,” Logan said with hurt in his voice. He picked up his suitcase and headed for the door. He opened it and walked towards his motorcycle.
“Logan stop! Don’t go! I didn’t mean…”
Logan got out his helmet and sat on the bike.
“Just remember a couple things. Tell our daughter that I love her just like I love you and nothing will ever change that. I also will never regret us ever meeting one another since it was the best thing that could ever happen to me in my whole entire life. Goodbye Marie.”
“Logan wait!”
It was too late. He was soon down the road.
“Logan-I love you…” Marie said silently as she fell to the ground sobbing uncontrollably.
What had she just done?
All was quiet among the mansion.
Everyone was sleeping except for Marie.
She had no way in knowing what or where Logan had gone off to. Staring at the empty spot in their bed wasn’t helping either.
How could she say something so cold to him like that? That wasn’t like her.
She had cried all afternoon and swore she already created a river.
When Bridget asked her where her daddy was, she replied by saying that he had gone on an emergency trip and wouldn’t be coming back for a few days. Bridget just cried and Marie held onto her and told her that her daddy had said to tell her that he loved her more than anything. That seemed to calm her down.
Marie tossed and turned in her bed. With this luck, she would become an insomniac and never got any sleep ever again.
I should go and check on Bridget, she thought. The poor thing had to get tucked into bed without a story or a goodnight kiss from him.
Marie rolled out of the covers and out of bed. She walked out the doorway into the other room.
“Bridget?” Marie went in and tried to stare into the darkness. She approached her daughter’s bed and looked down in horror.
NO!!!!!!!!!!!!! her mind scream.
She was gone.
Earlier that night…
“…And the prince and princess lived happily ever after,” Marie said as she closed the book she had finished reading to her daughter. It just wasn’t the same without Logan there.
“The End?” the little girl asked.
“The End.”
“Mommy? Do you and daddy live happily ever after too?”
“Yeah.”
“You look said.”
Marie smiled and said, “We had a little disagreement before he left. That’s all.” “Is he coming back?”
“Yeah. Really soon too, baby.”
“Good,.. I miss him.”
“Me too,” Marie said as Bridget yawned.
“You tired?”
“Ah-ha,” Bridget said yawning again.
“Get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a brand new day.”
“Okay mommy.”
“Goodnight baby, “ Marie said putting the covers over her and handing here a teddy bear Logan head given her when she was born.
“Goodnight.”
Marie turned off the nightlight and kissed her on the forehead.
“Sweet dreams.”
“You too.”
She was about to leave when Bridget yelled, “Mommy?”
“Yeah.”
“I love you.”
Marie smiled and said, “I love ya, too.”
She then left and closed the door.
Hours passed and Bridget slept.
Later a window mysteriously opened with a laser gadget. A cloaked figure slipped in soon after..
“Now I’ve got you.”
She then picked up the young girl and put in an injection in her arm to get her into an even deeper sleep state.
“You will do great things in the future of the Brotherhood,” the woman whispered. Then she went out the window and down a tree.
From there she ran.
Many hours later…
Marie paced frantically outside of the room that contained Cerebro.
How could this be? she wondered. How could this have happened?
“It’ll be alright mon chere,” Remy said holding her, “She’ll be okay.”
‘I have faith,” Storm said.
“Hail Mary, full of grace….” began Kurt holden his wooden beaded rosary.
The door opened and out rolled the professor.
“I couldn’t tell who it was but whoever that someone may be, he or she works for the Brotherhood. We can only guess that they have another lair up in the mountains somewhere North of here.”
“Oh gosh…” Jean said.
“Everybody!” Scott said walking into the hallway.”I found this by the lamp in her room,” he said raising a letter.
Marie grabbed it from him and read it to herself.
Beloved Daughter of Mine,
Yes. It was I, who took your daughter. She’s safe and I won’t harm her. Aren’t you forgetting that we share the same blood and pain. You can’t heave her. She’s better off with her grandma. The brotherhood is where she belongs. Where you belonged. Too bad you were just too different. Ta-ta. May you live a long life of misery and shattered drams.
Love,
Mystique
“Mystique…” Marie said crumpling the letter and throwing it on the floor.
“Marie?!” a sound came from down the hall as Logan came rushing towards her. “Logan!” she yelled running to him and taking his embrace.
“Are you okay? Chuck sent me the message. I was driving not too far away from here when I heard it and rushed back.”
Marie just kept crying.
“Just listen to me darlin’. Everything will be okay. I promise.”
“Love ya,” Marie said.
“I love you too. And I swear that I will find and bring our baby home even if it means that’s the last thing that I’ll ever do.”
“What do you think they plan to do?” Logan said putting his arms around Marie for comfort.
“Make her one of them?” Jean said.
“Right,” Kitty said, “The pieces all add up.”
Jubille exclaimed,” Yeah! You are Mystique’s daughter and they already tried to take you more than once. They know your powers. What about hers? We all still don’t know what hers could be. They might want to raise Bridget evil or something.”
“Jubes!” Scott said sharply.
“What?! I’m just saying the truth.”
“No…” Marie said.
“Shh…it’ll be okay,” Logan whispered in her ear.
Scott then said, “I figured out the coordinates. I’ll set them as soon as we board the X-Jet.”
“Good, I’m leaving.” Logan said.
“No!!” Marie said holding onto him, “I’m not leaving you to go alone. I’m going too.” “If she goes we all go,” Remy pitched in.
“Marie, it’s too dangerous,” Logan sternly said.
“I don’t care! She’s alone, cold, scared… she needs me! I want my baby!”
“Fine,” Logan said, “I just don’t want you to get hurt. “ He thought for a moment and said, “Kurt, I want you to monitor Marie at all times. If something happens you can get those two out of danger as soon as possible”.
“Gotcha,” Kurt said,
“Jean, Scott, Storm, come with me in case of back-up.”
“Remy, Kitty, Jubes,” Scott commanded, “Stay here with the Professor and look after the kids. If we need you, we’ll call you and you can use one of the other mini-jets to get there. Now let’s go.”
Everyone moved to their assigned areas as the X-Men boarded the X-Jet. Now, Logan and Marie sat next to each other and he took her hand.
“I’ll take care of this. I promise.”
She smiled and soon the engines started.
It was time to fight off the Brotherhood again.
Within hours, the X-Men arrived at the new Brotherhood Lair and hid the Jet in the woods.
“Remember,” Scott began, “Logan, Storm, Jean, and I will do the distracting. Marie get Bridget and Kurt please guard them. Now everybody, let’s go!”
“Logan!” Marie yelled as he was leaving, “In case anything happens I wan t you to know that I love you.”
“I know. I love you too.”
He quickly gave her a kiss and left.
“C’mon sis,” Kurt yelled from the side of the building.
“I’m coming!” Marie said silently as she followed him.
“Everybody stick together. This is a small lair and if they attack, they will probably do so together,” Scott said.
“What are you looking for Wolverine?” a voice echoed.
“Did you do that?” Storm asked.
“No,” said Jean.
“That must be her. She can’t be that far,” remarked Scott.
“Well, well,” a cloaked figure said out of nowhere, “Look who has come back.”
“We know what you did Mystique,” warned Jean.
“Do you? And you suppose that you are going to stop Bridget from joining our side?”
“At least she’s chosen a side and it’s not with you,” added Storm.
Logan took out his claws, “You are going to pay for everything you’ve done, bub.”
“I’m impressed. Boys,” Mystique said.
Then from behind her Magneto, Toad, and Sabertooth appeared.
“Attack!” said Scott.
Logan headed towards Mystique, Scott faced Sabertooth, Toad lashed out with Storm, and that left Jean to Magneto.
“You will pay for this intrusion my so-called friend,” he said. He threw a few metallic wall pieces to her. She used her force as a telekinetic to throw them back to him and he fell. At the other end, Storm was having a good time electrocuting Toad.
Soon they were on a balcony facing a waterfall.
“Do you know what happens when a toad gets struck by lightening 2 times in one lifetime?”
Jean came from behind and positioned him over the water.
“The same thing that happens to everything else---but this time, worse.”
A huge bolt fell from the sky and he fell into the water.
Only sparks were left.
“2 down, 2 to go,” said Jean.
“Let’s go,” said Storm.
In the meantime, Logan was fighting Mystique.
He missed and his claws hit a switch. In the wall, above the room, a
bridge was extended. There was a plastic prison with Bridget in it.
“Daddy!” she yelled.
“Bridget!” he said looking up to her.
Mystique took the liberty to kick him at that moment and he fell.
“Scott, blast him off the balcony,” Jean said. She was busy holding Sabertooth still.
“Now!” yelled Storm.
Scott took his visor and made the final blast.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Sabertooth said as he made the final plunge.
“And now for the finishing touch,” Storm said as she electrocuted the water again.
“Perfect!”
Jean and Scott just stared at her in disbelief.
“What?!” Ororo asked.
Hearing the fighting, Marie said, “Kurt it must be this way!”
She then heard her daughter’s voice yelling out to Logan.
“C’mon,” Kurt said leading her up a case of stairs.
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