'The last nut had a dress that sparkled like the stars,
Deep blue black,
Covered with all the stars of the sky,
When she wore it
All who saw it knelt before her,
For she truely was
The Lady Of Heaven.'
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The dress laid out for her to wear tomorrow, the deep blue of the fabric something that she'd chosen herself. It matched her skin tone, picking it up she decided to try it on before she wore it in front of everyone.
The net skirt below went down her legs, covering the scars on the skin that were an angry red. The soft velvet falling over the net like darkness over the world, the long sleeves pulling against her arms as she dressed herself. Pulling it over her head and shaking her hair loose over the bare shoulders it gave her, the plunging neckline something she never would've risked before. But now it didn't really matter, she wasn't the one going down the aisle today or any other day.
Ian had been good about the incident with Logan at the party but it had put a wedge between them, one where she'd allowed it to grow with her reluctance to explain about her feelings when it came to Logan. Now looking back at it all she could see where she'd gone wrong, she should have told him everything about Logan from the start of their relationship but she hadn't. She'd wanted a break from the past and so she'd left it out, left a part of her hidden from him and it was then her relationship had been doomed to fail.
But she just couldn't put the image of his eyes out of her mind, the way they'd died, the way all light had gone out of him the moment Ian had said those words to him. The cold way he'd just let her go and walked out and then she'd known exactly how much Logan had missed her, how much he'd *loved* her. Oh she'd been upset for a month about that, that it had been her fault for not knowing, but how could she? She didn't go searching the piece fo him she had in her mind because it made him more active in her head. But she did in Spring Break and what she found in there had been enough to nail the coffin lid down on her relationship with Ian.
Logan had loved her since he'd seen her, since the day she'd shouted out to warn him, it had started out as care sure, she'd been too young then. But when he'd come home to see her with Bobby, that had changed, when she'd handed him his tags back on the way to Boston she knew the significance of it from his point of view. She'd been wearing them to *bed* a piece of him had been with her while Bobby was still *outside*. She'd already picked him but when she gave them back she was telling him she was now picking Bobby over him.
It hadn't been like that for her, it was just a safe place to keep them, to keep him close to her. She'd never even thought she'd been in the running for his heart, not when Jean was still alive. When Jean came back she'd stopped even dreaming about him that way, and when he'd left her alone at Graduation she thought she'd lost him entirely. So she'd acted as if she had, got a new life, got a boyfriend, experienced life, but it wasn't like that. Not to the Logan in her head, he loved her, needed her, she held all of him inside her and she hadn't run away from him, hadn't hated him and when Spring Break finished she broke off the dying remnants of her relationship with Ian. She regressed for a while, went crazy, did all the things she knew she shouldn't, thats how she ended up with the scar tissue on her legs. Coming off a stolen bike will do that to you, especially along a gravel road. She was lucky she'd been wearing a helmet, but the rest in the hospital had given her enough time to make a plan of 'what next'.
Sighing she smoothed the dress down, it was her final walk, the last part of her life at the mansion. Kitty's wedding, the dress had been designed especially for her, translucent at the neck and arms but flowing into what looked like an open bodice with a plunging neck line showing what God had graced her with.
Thankfully Logan wasn't here, he'd been on a mission where they expected him back in around a month,she could get through this one without him being around to mess it up for her. Satisfied she looked right in it she peeled it back off her body, she had enough time to get a shower and go see Kitty to calm her nerves. She was marrying Pieter not his family, (who were mostly connected to some rather unsavoury characters) it had come out at the engagement party. It had been looked into and even Pieter was a little bemused by it all but he'd done the decent thing and asked Kitty if she still wanted to take the risk of marrying him. Of course she'd said yes, as if the outcome would have been any different.
Heading for the shower she never heard the distinctive sound of Logan's bike coming up the drive. Tonight was going to be a surprise for both of them.
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When Logan walked into Katherine's kitchen he was surprised to see Kitty sat there in her dressing gown all red and crying. Seeing Logan twitching in the doorway Kitty just sniffed once and ran, Katherine's hand touching her shoulder as she left the room. As Logan entered Katherine opened her arms to Logan, he dropped into the strong embrace and let the road behind him fade away. His mind still troubled but knowing he needed to see Katherine before he saw anyone else, she kept him on an even keel.
Releasing him she went to her store cupboard and brought out the tea that helped Logan 'be' Logan and not Wolverine. Making the sweet tea she handed it to him before dropping the bombshell on him. "Marie's home." She smiled as Logan almost choked on the tea in his throat, mumbling out "She alone?"
Katherine nodded, "Yeah she's been alone the last year now, Ian and her split up soon after she was here." Logan's gaze almost cut her in two, "She phoned to ask how you were, I told her." He winced as she spoke because he knew she wouldn't lie to Marie or to anyone for that matter.
"What did you tell her?"
"That you were more Wolverine now than Logan, she uderstood and asked if you'd asked about her. I told her you hadn't." Logan almost dropped the cup he was holding, Katherine had *lied* and she grew serious on him.
"I didn't think she'd want to know you were carving up strangers who happened to look like her boyfriend Logan, thats between you and me. Not even Ororo could get this out of me and as I've said before, what's said in here stays in here. You never said I could tell her that you'd asked about her wellbeing to me, so it wasn't a lie. Just an omission."
"She's here for the wedding." Logan's face looked confused, "You know *The Wedding*, the one that's been planned for months? The one your being BEST MAN for?" Bobby had been injured and so he'd been called home as a replacement for him. Seeing that Logan still wasn't really here yet Katherine refilled his mug and sent him off to bed. He needed sleep and Pieter was already out on his stag night with the rest of the mansions young men. "Go to bed Logan, I'll wake you an hour before so you get ready. Go on, get moving." Logan let himself be moved out so Katherine could get the last few things done that were always left to the last minute. Flowers for one, she was going to make Logan a beautiful button hole and Marie a posy to carry. Whispering as she worked, weaving a spell for the two halves of hearts that were sleeping above her head.
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Kitty was ready, the music was playing, the flower girls had gone down the centre aisle all she had to do was follow her best friend to where her future husband was waiting for her. Looking down the chapel she could see Pieter fidgeting as he awaited his bride but the man next to him she didn't recognise from the back. It must be one of Pieter's relations standing in for Bobby, she'd seen him that morning and the plaster his hip was in. It made all the more sense to her for Kitty and Pieter to get hitched now while they could. The pain of her own seperate life making itself known for a moment before pushing it aside, she was here for Kitty. And as she moved off down the aisle Marie followed her, opposite in colour to the pure white of Kitty's dress, day and night, touchable and untouchable.
He was sweating, shaking almost as if he was the bridegroom, the rings were in his waistcoat pocket ready to be given over but there was a third ring too. One he hoped would be accepted but he had to try and he had one last chance at being whole. He saw Kitty take her place at the side of Pieter and he looked at the woman next to her, seeing her eyes widen as she realised who was stood next to Pieter.
LOGAN!
It was Logan! Her skin flared as she saw him stood next to Pieter, the suit he was wearing fitting him like a glove, he was dressed like her, opposite to the main couple who were both in white. The way he looked over once then brought his eyes front and centre, watching his adam's apple bob as the words of the service wound out over them all. Knowing in her heart that she was wishing it were her wedding and the man who loved her was stood just feet away.
Jesus he was nervous! He almost handed out the wrong ring, trying to calm his nerves he took a quick look over to Marie. She looked stunning, the dress sparkling as if she were the entire vault of the heavens laid out over her alabaster skin. Kitty was pretty but his eye was on her and when she felt him looking she flushed with colour, maybe he had more of a chance than he'd thought.
When had he looked so beautiful? When had she missed his strength, the way he held himself so calm even when she could feel his nerves from here. It shone out from his eyes, the hope he held in them for her, and god help her she wanted to have it for herself. Even if it was just hope she wanted it, the final words were said and Kitty and Pieter kissed but the two of them were wishing it could be them.
As the couple left to the smiles and cheers of the families, they both stayed still at the altar, Logan's hand going to his waistcoat pocket. He pulled a ring out of it, walked across the small distance that felt like miles and pulled her hand up with his own gloved one. Taking the ring finger he slipped the silver band onto her skin, she didn't struggle, didn't stop him, didn't even comment when he kissed her for the first time stood at the altar. His mind filling hers again, letting her know how much he loved her, how much it ahd made him suffer to know she was someone elses.
No one noticed Katherine smile and whisper to the wind "About bloody time too," before herding the rest of the guests to the banquet leaving the two lovers alone with each other, they had a future to hammer out between them. One that was best left to silence and privacy, if they needed anything they'd ask for it but for now all they needed was each other.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
The final dress...but who's wedding is it for?
Chapter End Notes:
Hope you enjoyed this one, let me know what you think if you want to, Hugs Jo.