We're only 20 miles down the road when 'Ro decides this trip is perfect Storm and Wolverine bonding time. Apparently, weather goddesses define "bonding" as giving unsolicited advice to bad-ass little boys.
"You know, Logan, Rogue is going to be expecting more than a few paltry postcards out of this little trip," she starts out innocently enough.
"How do you know what Rogue expects?" I ask as I pull a cigar out of my jacket pocket. "You become a telepath, too?"
"I saw that little kiss she sent your way before we pulled out of the drive," she answers. "I know you don't plan on polluting my lungs with that thing."
"This thing is one of the Professor's favorite bribes," I cut her off before she starts lecturing me on the dangers of cigar smoking, "but I'll just save it until later."
A couple of hours and four fights over the radio later, Ororo decides to restart the bonding process again. If I won't let her listen to jazz, she is not going to let me drive in peace.
"I have her number, Logan," `Ro informs me as she once again reaches to change the station.
"I don't need her number," I reply. "I also don't think that you understand the road trip rules. The driver picks the music."
"I'm just saying . . ." she tries again.
"I know what you're just saying," I tell her, "and I'm just saying, I don't need her number. I'm also saying leave the radio alone. On this trip, we're listening to real music—Willie, Cash, and if I'm feeling the need for something new maybe, just maybe, a little Gretchen Wilson. If your local honky-tonk don't play it, we ain't listening to it."
"Fine, I'll try to look at this as a chance to broaden my music or shall I say noise horizons," she says in that icy cultured tone she uses when someone has royally ticked her off. I have a feeling that I'll be hearing it quite often on this trip.
After winning the argument over the radio, I let Storm choose the hotel. "Let" may be too strong of a word. I stopped at a Motel 6, but apparently, weather goddesses don't do motels.
'Ro's attempt to give me Marie's number was also pointlenss. I did not need Storm to give me Marie's number. I asked Chuck for it before we left, and when he gave it to me, I tried really hard to ignore his knowing look. I'm settled into bed now, but there's just one more thing before I'll be able to sleep.
"Hmmmm," Marie mumbles as she picks up her phone.
"Hey, kid, I didn't mean to wake you up," I apologize from my king size hotel bed.
"Logan, is that you?" she asks sounding a little more awake, and I swear I hear her heartbeat speed up.
"Yeah, it's me," I answer. "I wanted to say good night."
"I wasn't expecting to hear from you this soon," she almost whispers into the phone. "Last time you left, I though you'd call, but I guess this time around I was afraid to even hope."
"Last time I left, I didn't understand what I was leaving. I thought I was going off to find my past," I tell her, "but this time . . . This time, let's just say, I know exactly where the most important of my past is."
"Uh . . . OK," she says sounding confused.
"What's the matter, Marie?" I ask a little concerned that she didn't understand what I was trying to say when I left her with a kiss.
"I guess I'm not used to you saying things like that to me. This almost seems like a dream," she answers honestly, "and it's going to take a little while for it all to make sense to me."
"I'm not going to quit saying things like to you, Marie," I reassure her, "but you've got some time to get to use to it before I get back.
"Storm and I figure that it is going to take a good month to locate all these kids and get them back to the house. We're starting with the furthest away first, and working our way back towards the mansion."
"Logan, how are y'all going to fit all of those kids in that truck?" she asks. "I know you think you don't need a seat belt, but the kids will."
"It's my job to get Storm and whatever kids we pick up at each location to the nearest airport. She'll then travel with them back to the mansion as I drive to the next stop. Chuck was afraid to send the Blackbird because he didn't want to attract any attention to the places that the kids ended up," I explain the ridiculously complicated plan. "I really think Chuck also thought that this would give us all chance to come to terms with Jean's death and all the other changes."
I hear her yawn over the phone, and I realize that she is probably still trying to catch up on her sleep from the past few days.
"I should probably let you get some sleep, huh?" I ask not really wanting to say good bye, but I know Chuck is relying on her to help with the kids since Jean is gone and Storm is with me.
"I'm not really that tired," she lies, and I hear another yawn.
"I can hear you yawning," I tell her. "I'll call again tomorrow night."
"It's OK if you don't," she says. "You know, you and Storm might have to do something for the professor or . . ."
"Marie, I promise I'll call tomorrow night. Nothing more important is going to come up," I cut her off. "You can plan on hearing from me every night."
"Well, if you really want to, I won't argue with you," she teases me.
"You're learning," I say. "Good night, kid."
"I'm not a kid anymore, Logan," she replies.
"Believe me, kid, I know. Go to sleep."
"Yes, sir," she answers back. Then she whispers, "Good night, Logan. Sweet dreams."
"Sweet dreams, Marie," I whisper in return.
The End
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
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Story Notes:
I would say that this is for those who asked for a sequel, but I started planning this right after I posted the last one.