After a long hot shower, Marie was feeling more like herself and drove into town to spend some time with her mom. They talked all the time on the phone and even chatted online but nothing could compare to a face to face conversation. They spoke about everything from how Nancy's flower shop was thriving to how her dad was thinking about taking early retirement so he could spend more time on the ranch with his own parents. Nancy took such joy in the fact that she could finally have precious skin to skin contact with Marie and couldn't seem to stop touching her. Her fingers cupped Marie's cheek and brushed against her arms whenever possible. She laced their fingers together and marveled at how a simple touch could mean so much. Nancy wanted to know every detail about how her work with Professor Xavier was progressing and why she had sought him out to begin with. Marie did her best to put Logan and whatever had happened last night out of her mind. Her time with her family was too precious to ruin that way.
Late in the afternoon, Marie and her dad drove to the ranch so she could finally go riding. She couldn't hide her excitement as she and John saddled the horses and headed out. Feeling Thunder's powerful muscles moving under her was one of the best feelings in the world. Today had been another unseasonably mild day and the cool breeze and fresh scents of the outdoors seemed to clear some of the cobwebs from her mind.
John was explaining the ideas he and his brother, Tom, had for changing the grazing patterns next year for the ranches Angus cattle. She could see how happy the decision to retire from one job in favor of another was making him. She idly stroked her bare fingers over Thunder's neck and couldn't miss the smile it put on her dad's face.
“Pretty weird, huh?” Marie grinned.
“Not weird, wonderful. We've always hoped that someday you'd be able to control it, Marie.”
“Me, too,” she admitted. “I know I always pretended it was no big deal but it's hard to grow up and miss out on so many normal things that everyone else can do.”
“I'm sorry you had to go through that.”
“It's not our fault, Dad. I've had a good life thanks to you and Mom and the rest of the family. You're the ones who've kept me sane.”
“And now you have a chance to be able to live without that constant worry you carry with you about hurting someone.”
Marie smiled warmly at her dad. “Yes, I do.”
They rode in silence for a while as John considered how best to phrase the question that was weighing on his mind. “So, life in Denver is good?” he asked without looking at her.
Marie glanced at him curiously when she heard the forced casualness in his tone and wondered where this was leading. “Sure, Dad. You know I've almost got a major account locked in at work. If they like my idea, I'm pretty sure they'll offer to make me the account manager. Before you know it, I could be a junior partner.”
“That's great. I'm glad you enjoy your work.” John paused a moment before asking, “So do you have a lot of friends there?”
“A few. Some girls I met at work. We go to movies together once in a while or get a drink after work. You know Jubilee and Kitty will always be my best friends though.”
Kitty Pryde was a mutant whom she and Jubilee had befriended in junior high. Her mutation gave her the ability to phase through solid objects. The three of them had used it to their advantage when they discovered she could phase other people through objects with her. After they graduated from high school, Kitty had moved to Los Angeles with hopes of becoming an actress. So far, she'd only found work in a few television commercials and had done a pilot for a medical drama that unfortunately, hadn't been picked up by any of the networks. Jubilee and Marie assured her it was just a matter of time until she got her big break but the last time Marie spoke to her, Kitty had mentioned possibly moving back to Wyoming and finding a job doing something else.
“No guy friends?” John asked.
Marie stifled her laugh. So that's what he'd been getting at. “No, Dad. I haven't gone out with anyone. Why do you ask?”
“Can't I just be curious about my little girl?”
Nancy had told him about the alleged kiss his daughter and Logan had shared. Like any father, he wanted to know that his daughter was being treated right. Then this morning, he had stopped in for coffee at the local diner and a friend of his had mentioned seeing Marie at the Broken Spoke last night. When John questioned him, he recalled having seen her dancing with Mike Johnson and then with Logan.
John had nothing against Logan personally and had always liked and respected him. But no matter how young he looked or how few memories he had of his life, he was still a 120 year old mutant man. John supposed he had every right to be concerned for his daughter’s welfare.
Marie was fairly certain she knew where this line of questioning was going. Caleb had warned her that the moms were asking questions the other day so obviously her dad had found out about the kiss. She prayed he didn't know that Logan had taken her back to his place last night. She didn't want him to get the wrong idea about her. Marie sighed, deciding it would be easier to just get it out in the open. “Why don't you just come right out and ask me, Dad? You want to know about me and Logan.”
John looked abashed. “I don't mean to pry, honey, but he's a lot older than you. A lot older,” he stressed.
“I know, Dad,” Marie sighed. “You really don't have to worry. Even if Logan Howlett was the last man on the planet, I wouldn't be interested.” Her father gave her a doubtful look. “Look, he's an egotistical, over-bearing, womanizing, chauvinist pig. You definitely don't need to worry about him.” A pig who can also be kind of sweet, Marie thought to herself when she recalled the gloves he had worn so she didn't have to. And he had made sure she got home safely; granted it was after he practically ravished her in a public place. She felt her cheeks heat at the memory of Logan's mouth on her. Oh how she wished she had never remembered what happened last night! Stupid memory and stupid alcohol that got her into that predicament in the first place.
Trying to ease her dad's mind, she blurted out the next thing that popped into her head. “There's actually a guy in Denver I'm kind of seeing. He's a doctor.”
John was surprised by her words. “Really? How'd you meet him?”
Marie wasn't about to tell him the truth and have her parents worrying over her health. “At a club,” she lied. “Turns out he's a mutant, too. He has wings like an angel and he can fly. He's really nice and super cute.” Marie realized she was beginning to ramble and clamped her lips shut. Super cute? What was she, thirteen again? She hadn't even gone out with the guy and here she was telling her dad about him like they'd been dating for weeks. God, she was such an idiot.
“Good for you, Marie. Your mom and I just want you to be happy.” They could see the barn in the distance and he drew his horse even with hers. “Last one back to the barn has to muck the stalls!”
Marie grinned as her dad urged his horse into a gallop. She clicked her tongue and touched her heels to Thunder's sides, urging him to follow. Her laughter rang out as she coaxed Thunder faster across the open range. She leaned forward against his neck, the silky strands of his mane stinging her cheeks. Her heart rate accelerated, enjoying the feeling of flying across the packed earth. They were running neck in neck and didn't rein the horses in until they burst into the yard surrounding the barn.
The smile on John's face matched the one worn by his daughter as their horses pranced around each other. “I guess we'll both be mucking stalls tonight.”
“Only because I held him back,” Marie said cheekily as she patted Thunder's neck. He tossed his head in agreement and danced around John's horse as if boasting about his speed.
John only laughed as they dismounted and led the horses into the barn.
*******************************************
That night, Marie hoped for a restful sleep, telling herself she wouldn't think about Logan. Unfortunately her dreams didn't listen and they were fairly explicit in their details. Even though she'd never actually had sex (heavy petting over layers of clothing didn't even come close in her book), she'd obviously read enough novels and seen enough movies to sufficiently fuel her imagination. She awoke cranky, tired, and more than a little sexually frustrated. Something was going to have to change soon or she wouldn't be responsible for her actions.
By the time the family gathered together again, Marie was half tempted to pick up the phone and call Dr. Warren Worthington. The sooner she started dating someone, the sooner she could work through some of her 'frustration'. Or, the little voice in her head said, she could just track down Logan, jump his bones and get it out of her system. She doubted that he would mind. That thought brought a frown to her face. Stupid voice in her head. Having sex with Logan was definitely not the answer. She was trying to convince herself that having sex with the dreamy Dr. Warren Worthington very well could be when Jubilee found her.
“What's with the sour look, Chica?” Jubilee plopped down onto the sofa next to Marie. “Somebody steal your best friend? No, wait, that's me so I guess not,” she grinned.
Marie gave her a wan smile. “No, just thinking, Jubes.”
Jubilee sobered at Marie's less than cheerful response. “Bout what?”
“About everything. You know, before I started controlling my skin I never thought very much about dating anyone seriously and I don't think I ever thought about,” she glanced around to make sure no one else was listening and lowered her voice, “sex. But now it seems like it's all I think about. I even had a dream about it.”
“Hmm,” Jubilee mused. “Was it Logan in your dream or just some nameless faceless lover?” She tapped her fingertips against her lips as she thought. “No, I'm not going for that. I'm thinking he had a name and it was Logan and he had a smokin' hot bod to go with the face you know so well. Or maybe not,” Jubilee said when Marie shot her a pointed look. Then a wicked grin appeared on her lips. “I could go find Logan for you. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to help you work out some of your sex issues or frustrations or whatever you want to call them.”
“God,” Marie groaned, “you are that voice in my head!”
“I don't know about the voice in your head but I am the voice of reason.”
“Hah! More like the voice of insanity. And I wasn't thinking about Logan and sex just now, I was thinking about Dr. Worthington.” It wasn't entirely a lie she told herself. She had been thinking about Warren, too.
“Right,” Jubilee drew the word out, not believing Marie for a second. “So you want a piece of the yummy doctor with the wings and you just want to fantasize about Logan.”
“Jubilee! Do you always have to sound so crass?”
“Crass? What are you, eighty? No, I'm not crass, just blunt and to the point.” Jubilee snatched a handful of nuts out of the bowl on the coffee table and popped a few in her mouth. “There is a difference, you know. Okay, so you're going to go back to Denver and ask the doctor out. What if you don't hit it off or worse yet, what if he's married? Then do you want me to send Logan to you?”
That brought an image of Logan being hogtied by Jubilee, forced into a crate, and shipped by overnight air which almost made Marie smile. Then she remembered this wasn't supposed to be funny. She threw her hands up in exasperation. “I do not want Logan, Jubilee! How many times do I have to say that?”
“You could've fooled me, babe. You didn't see me sleeping in his bed wearing nothing but his shirt and a smile.”
Marie's frown returned. “That wasn't a smile. That was a hangover. And I had my underwear on,” she added petulantly.
“Fine,” Jubilee acquiesced with a roll of her eyes, “but trust me, a bra and panties are not much of a deterrent to a man with claws and a whole lot of imagination and determination.”
“If he was so determined, we wouldn't be having this conversation,” Marie huffed under her breath.
Jubilee's eyebrow arched in a fair imitation of Logan. “So you do want him.”
“No!” Marie denied vehemently. “I'm just feeling frustrated. The idea of having a normal sexual relationship with a man used to be something I just dreamed about but now it could be a reality and I guess I'm just anxious for that to happen. And after what happened with Logan the other night, it's just got me thinking about it more.”
“Just don't waste it on someone you don't really want, Marie. You're the kind of girl that it will mean something special to.”
Marie looked surprised. “It wasn't that way for you?”
Jubilee grinned. “Don't get me wrong, Chica. I've wanted each of the guys I've slept with and I don't regret a single one but we're just different that way.” She shrugged. “It's probably because physical touch is so different for you. The rest of us just take it for granted that we can touch anybody we want whenever we want. You've never had that until now so having sex will be different for you, especially the first time. You'll remember every touch you give and each one you get. Every detail will mean more to you because it's still very unique to you.”
Marie was stunned. “Wow, Jubes. That was pretty profound.”
Jubilee gave her a satisfied smile. “I know. Sometimes I even surprise myself.”
Marie's teeth worried her lower lip as she thought. “You know, now that you've said all that, I'll probably start thinking about it and freak out when it actually happens.”
“If it's performance anxiety you're worried about, we could always steal Bobby's porn collection and you could get some pointers on technique.”
“Gross,” Marie laughed. “I think I'd rather just wing it, thank you very much.”
They were both laughing when Caleb came in and took the empty spot on Jubilee's other side. “Do I even want to know what's so funny?”
“Probably not,” Marie said at the same time Jubilee said, “Sex.”
Caleb almost groaned. “How do I get myself into these situations?”
Jubilee bumped him with her shoulder. “You asked.”
“And don't I regret it,” Caleb sighed.
“Lawyers, they just never know when to shut up,” Jubilee lamented. Then with some glee said, “So, do you want to know?” She was practically rubbing her hands together in anticipation of telling him.
“Jubilee,” Marie said in a warning tone. If Jubilee said anything to Caleb about her dreams and Logan she would turn on her mutation and drop her like a brick. The last thing she needed was Caleb acting like an overprotective big brother. She could tell he was already worried enough about her after he found out her doctor had forced her to take a vacation. And of course if he knew about the rest of it, he'd tell Gabe and then she'd have two of them trying to tell her what to do.
Jubilee waved off Marie's concern with a wave of her hand. “Don't be so stuffy, Chica. I was just going to ask Caleb if he has a better porn collection than his brother. More tasteful maybe.”
Marie shot her a look that clearly said, 'Yeah, right' and then smiled reassuringly at Caleb.
Caleb's brow furrowed as he looked from one woman to the other. Something was going on but he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know the truth from either of them. Then again, Jubilee would probably perjure herself in court just so she could make a smart ass comment about something. Not that she couldn't tell the truth, just that it was usually 'the truth according to Jubilee'.
“I don't believe my taste in porn is any of your business,” Caleb said dryly, hoping that would be the end of it. He really should have known better.
Jubilee couldn't resist. “We probably wouldn't like it anyway. I bet he's got movies like 'Lawyer's in Lust' or 'Debbie Does the Defendant'.
“Oo, I know,” Marie joined in. “How about 'The Prosecutor and the Porn Star'?”
Jubilee squealed with laughter. “'Debriefing the Defender'.”
“'Twelve Horny Men',” Marie said through her own laughter.
“'The Judge in the Jury's Box'. Is that a gavel in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?” Jubilee said in her best sexy drawl.
Caleb shook his head at their juvenile humor. “I think you two have lost it,” he said as the two cousins continued to laugh uproariously. He abandoned his seat on the couch and brushed past Bobby in the doorway. “I wouldn't go in there if I was you. Those two have serious problems.”
Bobby gave his brother a puzzled look and then turned that look on his cousins. “What's got into you two?”
“More like what hasn't gotten into Marie,” Jubilee gasped through her tears.
Marie didn't stop laughing. “Jubilee! Inappropriate!”
Bobby sniffed the air around Jubilee when he dropped onto the couch, stretching his legs out and propping his feet on the coffee table. “You two been hitting Grandpa's whiskey stash?”
They ignored his question and Jubilee said, “Quick, Bobby, name a porno with lawyers in it.”
His answer was immediate. “'L.A. Lust'. It's real,” he insisted at their doubtful looks. “It's like a sexed up version of L.A. Law. Remember that show?”
Jubilee rolled her eyes. “I don't know about you, dude, but I was too little to watch that when it was on TV.”
“I'm younger than you, genius.” Bobby shot a small flurry of snowflakes at Jubilee. “Haven't you ever heard of reruns?”
Jubilee waved the snowflakes away and shot some sparkles Bobby's way. Bobby jumped off the couch and Jubilee followed him.
“Knock it off, you two,” Marie warned. “You know you're not supposed to do that in the house.”
“You gonna tell on us, Marie?” Bobby taunted as he spun around and with a wave of his hand, sent small glittery snowflakes drifting down on her head.
Marie shrieked anew with laughter and lunged toward him. “I'm taking the gloves off now, Bobby,” she threatened, warning him that she wasn't against using her own mutation on him.
Bobby feinted right and then took off to the left, scrambling out the door just ahead of Marie. Jubilee followed as Bobby crashed through the front door onto the porch. He shot his hand out and an ice sheet spread out in front of him, allowing him to slip and slide even faster away from his cousins.
Marie stopped just at the edge of the ice which shot over the steps leading up to the porch and across the yard. Jubilee, unaware of how Bobby was escaping, crashed into her from behind. Her momentum was too great and sent Marie sprawling across the ice with such force that she was unable to catch herself and she went careening off the edge of the elevated slide with a shriek.
It took Jubilee a second to process what had just happened. “Marie!” she yelled and leaned over the porch rail only to see Marie sprawled unmoving on the ground. “Chica, are you all right?”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Disclaimer: I still don't own them. Maybe Disney will get tired of them and I'll get lucky though!
A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. It's the longest I've gone between postings but sometimes real life intrudes on my fantasy life. Thanks for reading...and reviewing if you feel like it!
A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. It's the longest I've gone between postings but sometimes real life intrudes on my fantasy life. Thanks for reading...and reviewing if you feel like it!
Chapter End Notes:
Sorry! I know there was no Logan in this chapter and I left you with a cliffhanger but I'll try very hard to get the next chapter up quicker!