While entering the diner her eyes fell upon a young woman wearing a tight wine red sleeveless t-shirt and a black miniskirt sitting on the far end of the room. Her long brunette hair was captured to a ponytail only her snow white streaks fell freely down her cheeks while she smiled cheerfully, somewhat lovingly at a middle-aged man sitting across from her at the table. Mrs. D’Ancanto watched the young woman beat the man’s hand playfully when he sneaked a fry from her plate. Bare skin touching bare skin. This can’t be! It’s not her! But she just looks like mah Marie! She even has the right age! The elderly woman debated with herself. It’s not her! But this brunette looked still too much like her little girl, she couldn’t take her eyes off of her just yet.
Her son must also have noticed the young woman’s resemblance to his sister. “Is that Marie?” Eventually getting his father’s attention to center on the couple.
Without further thought Mrs. D’Ancanto approached the table her husband and son in tow, earning a wary gaze from the man at her destination. “Marie?!” The young woman looked up from her meal startled.
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Rogue was like frozen. She’d talked Logan into spending some time in the little vacation town she’d often visited with her family – not that she’d a hard time persuading him – he would go anywhere she wanted. The small lake with its ducks and fishes and the green meadows beyond had always given her the feeling of vacation, being finally able to relax. The young woman wanted to share this with Logan. She never intended to run into her family.
Logan immediately noticed the state of shock his Rogue was in and his protector instincts kicked in. Carefully he grasped her hand rubbing its back with his thumb.
This brought the brunette back to the present and she squeezed his fingers lightly then broke their physical contact. Her voice was shacking a little when she rose from her seat. “Mommy?”
“It’s really ya, Marie!” The honey blond woman made an attempt to hug her long lost daughter but stopped in her motion just before they touched.
Sadness flashed up in Rogue’s eyes the moment she saw her mother’s old fears of her. “It’s fine. Ah’m not deadly anymore.” This sentence held a bitter sweetness in it.
Rogue trembled slightly when her mother pulled her into a tight embrace which was soon joined by her father. After a small eternity they broke away and took a good look on their daughter. “Ya’ve grown up, Marie.” Her father finally said.
The young woman smiled, her parents weren’t afraid anymore, they had finally touched her. “Ah grew?! Joshie is the one two heads taller now!” She quickly hugged her younger brother.
“Of course Ah am. Ah was twelve, when ya left.” He grinned finally being on eye-level with his sister. “This skunk-streak looks cool.”
“Stunk-streak?! We weren’t even talking two sentences and ya already tease me?” This was her little brother, no doubt.
Suddenly Rogue noticed her parents stare on something or someone behind her. For a split second she’d indeed forgotten about Logan. Smiling she walked the small distance to Wolverine, who rose from his seat placing his left arm around her shoulders. “Mom, Dad, this is Logan.”
Both parties examined each other while shaking hands. “You can join us if you like.” Logan offered as Rogue already took the free seat next to his own.
When everybody was seated Rogue and Logan on one side of the table, her parents on the other side facing them while Josh occupied the spot between his mother and sister, the waitress came taking the order.
An uncomfortable silence settled down on them while they waited for their meal. “Ya look good, Marie.” Her mother finally said.
“Thanks. So do ya.” It was bizarre.
Her mother tried to stir up a conversation. “What are ya two doing here?”
“Ah think the same as ya. Vacation.” Answered Rogue when the waitress returned with the food and silence dreaded to come up again.
Mr. D’Ancanto’s eyes had never left the other man. “So, Logan, you are Marie’s… ehm…” Her father didn’t dare to say the boyfriend-word to someone, who was doubled the age of his daughter.
“Friend.” Logan finished grinning about the uneasiness of the other man.
A sigh of relief escaped both her parents, but still he didn’t like the way this guy touched his little daughter. “Are ya two… sleeping together?”
“Dad!” Rogue threw an evil glare towards Logan, who chuckled with a wicked smirk about her embarrassment. “No, we are not!”
“So ya are still… innocent?” This time her mother inquired.
“Mom! That’s exactly the kind of conversation Ah never wanted to have!” She avoided the subject, her cheeks glowing red.
“I think she is.” Logan answered, inwardly hoping it’s the truth. On the quizzically expressions of her parents he continued. “Before her ‘changes’ appeared she could hardly have had sex, since her first kiss had triggered her skin problem. Afterwards it was pretty much impossible and the last few months I had an eye on her.”
“Ah never gonna tell ya anything again!” Rogue hoped the earth would rip apart beyond her feet and swallow her. But to her dismay Logan continued. “There are still those three months I was away and you had already taken the cure…” He fixed her embarrassed features with his brown eyes, expecting an answer.
“Logan!” Now she was hyperventilating. “That’s the worst evening in mah life!”
Wolverine cupped her red cheek with his large hand. “You’re really hot, darlin’. If it wouldn’t be for this conversation I'd think you have a fever.” On her twentieth birthday some weeks ago, he thought it to be the right time to stop calling her ‘kid’ and gave a little in his feelings for the beautiful brunette.
“Ah can’t believe Ah’m having this discussion with ya and mah parents while mah little bro is listening!”
He removed his hand, not letting her off the hook. “You still didn’t answer.”
“Ah’m still a virgin.” Rogue hissed between gritted teeth. “Happy?! Ya really wanted to know, Logan, didn’t ya?”
“Yup.” Somehow Wolverine was relieved about her answer.
The young woman was cooling her body with half a glass coke before an idea dawned. “Ah also have a question for ya, Logan? Did ya sleep with Dr. Grey?”
That one was unexpected and Logan almost choked on the fry he’d stolen from Rogue’s plate. “Interesting question. Why do you wanna know?”
“Why did ya wanna know, if Ah’m still innocent?”
“Just so.”
“Already embarrassed?”
“No.”
“Yeah and. Ah’m waiting for your answer.”
“That was my answer. Nothing ever happened between Jean and me.” It felt somewhat weird, but he could talk about Jean now. “’K, there was this one kiss, but nothing more.” Logan emptied his beer. “Do you have other questions about my sex-life? Or was it just an attempt to frame me?”
It hadn’t worked. At least the brunette now knew how far his relationship with Jean had gone. “Could we change the topic now?!”
“Always, darlin’. What other embarrassing topics do we have left?” Logan smirked evilly; he loved this innocent and girlish side of her.
“Jerk!”
“Who’s this Dr. Grey, if Ah may ask? Ah’ve heard the name before.” Her father tried to join in the discussion.
“She was a teacher at the school Ah was.”
“Was?”
“She died a few months ago.” Rogue felt the conversation run down a wrong path. Logan took a deep breath when pictures of his last moments with Jean flashed up in his mind. Abruptly he stood up, empty bottle in hand and walked away. When he heard Rogue’s voice calling him, he lifted the bottle up, signaling her he would just fetch a new beer. He needed a moment alone.
Puzzled Mr. D’Ancanto watched the other man approach the counter. “What’s wrong with him?”
Rogue felt a knot tighten in her stomach. “He loved Jean and was there when she died. Ah’ve hurt him.” She slowly rose and met Logan on his way back to their table. Their gazes met and she could clearly see the hurt in his deep brown eyes. “Ah’m sorry, Ah shouldn’t have started talking ‘bout her.”
Sighing a small smile found its way to Wolverine’s face. He knew his Rogue didn’t intend to hurt his feelings and saw her misery. Hugging her he planted a quick kiss on her dark hair. “No, it’s fine.”
Her parents watched the close scene between the pair with mixed feelings, praying the two didn’t lie to them about the depth of their friendship. “So ya went to school?”
“Yeah.”
“Wasn’t that dangerous?” Rogue knew her mother wasn’t worried about her but about the other students.
“They knew.”
“It’s a school for special kids. ‘Gifted’ children.” Logan underlined the meaning by raising his eyebrow.
“Something like that exists?”
Josh finally joined in the conversation. “And how is such a school?”
Rogue shrugged. “Like any other school…. just with ‘gifted’ kids. Ok, it’s more like a boarding school.”
Her brother became curious. “Only” he lowered his voice “mutants?”
“Yes, Josh. Is this so unbelievable?” Rogue smiled. “Nobody has to hide their abilities.”
“Did they kick ya out ‘cause ya’re normal now?”
“No. Ah left.” Sadness was evident in her eyes. “Ah- Ah didn’t fit in anymore.” A sigh escaped her lips and Logan slung his arm around her shoulders.
Her mother felt sorry for her little girl, something she wasn’t able when her daughter still had her mutation; her fear of her was too great, but now… she clasped her little girl’s hand that lay next to the half empty plate. “Ah’m sorry, honey.”
Logan didn’t want her parents to think that this school was indeed only for mutants. “It isn’t like Marie isn’t welcomed. The headmaster said that Marie can always come back.”
“But the other eer- children will pick on her.” Mrs. D’Ancanto countered.
“That wouldn’t be a problem; I'll make sure of that.”
Mr. D’Ancanto got curious. “Are ya a teacher, Logan?”
“More a substitute teacher.” Logan sipped on his beer.
Mrs. D’Ancanto wondered from the beginning that this man seemed to know about Marie’s former condition. “So ya are one of them?”
Logan’s chin tightened and he narrowed his eyes. “What if I would be one of them?”
Feeling the tensed atmosphere Rogue interfered. “He is, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s a wonderful man, who would never harm innocent people.”
Josh took a bite from his burger. Even when Marie was still at home their parents would never really talk about her condition. That was it what they’ve called it. “Did ya also take the cure?”
“There is nothing to cure.” Was Logan’s curt statement and Rogue inwardly prayed for this topic to be closed and buried.
But to her dismay the TV hanging from the ceiling showed a news footage about the latest incidences concerning the two massacres carried out by mutants, who regained their powers due to the failure of the cure. The concern of the people rose anew at an alarming rate with every little piece of news centering on the topic ‘mutants’. Some voices started to demand not only the registration of all mutants, but also of everybody who has taken the cure.
The D’Ancantos saw the concern about the broadcast in Marie’s and Logan’s features and they finally understood that the curse was not over for their daughter. The moment she had hugged her normal human girl, Mrs. D’Ancanto made plans on taking her home with them and start their family life at the point in time, before that baleful kiss had taken place. But even if her powers would never return, everybody knew she were once a mutant and still held sympathy for them.
That was again a part of the forbidden topics and Josh saw his chance to finally get some answers. “Why is this registration-law so bad? If ya knew that someone else in your neighborhood would also be mutant, ya could become friends.”
“And what then?” Logan was annoyed about the boy’s ignorance.
Rogue knew that this was an unspoken topic in her family. “Most mutants, who came out, were shunned by society; they even lost their families and jobs. Some vanished suddenly and that sure enough not voluntarily.” She explained holding her voice low.
“Aren’t ya exaggerating? Who should take them away? The government?” Her father didn’t like these conspiracy ideas.
“Ah don’t say it was a direct order from the president, but there are other sections that have the means to do that.”
They would never understand. Logan shook his head clearing it. “It’s fine, darlin’. You should talk about other stuff than this.” He retrieved his wallet and placed a 20 Dollar note on the table. “I’m gonna get some food in the supermarket. Stay here ‘n catch up with your family. I’ll pick you up later.” With that said he slipped into his battered leather jacket.
“Ok. Oh, would ya get me some PopTarts? But no-”
“No strawberry, I know. How about your beloved Oreos?”
Rogue’s eyes lighted up. “Yes, and chocolate!”
“Your teeth will thank you.”
“They’re only a little sensitive!” Rogue defended herself. “Ah still have the other side to chew sweets on.” She added a little annoyed; Logan wouldn’t let that topic slip.
“The day will come you have to see a dentist.”
“Then it should pay off.” A sweet smile appeared on her lips.
“Whatever, you are old enough.” Logan turned to leave. “Bye, everyone.”
“Bye.” The D’Ancantos watched Logan get into a silver Jeep and speed off.
A moment past and Rogue thought about some neutral subject to talk about, but her father was faster. “What’s Logan doing? Ah mean what’s his job?” He didn’t really believe him to be a teacher.
“He isn’t doing something illegal.” Rogue wondered if cage-fights were legal, but it was better her parents didn’t learn about Logan’s hobby. “He already told ya he’s a teacher.” She decided to stick with that lie, though it was true to some degree even if his teachings restricted to the danger-room. A little nervous she fiddled about her bracelet.
“That’s a nice wristlet, Marie.” Her mother saw the need for a more pleasant topic.
The brunette smiled. “Yeah it is. Logan gave it to me for mah twentieth birthday. Every pendant is from one of the cities or states we visited in the last few months. The apple from New York City, the deer from Ohio, the dogwood from North Carolina and so on. He’d planned mah birthday present months before.”
“That’s nice.” Her mother noticed the joy in her eyes, when Marie spoke about that man. “Ya like him.”
“It’s just easy being around him.” Rogue simply stated with a smile.
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The next half an hour was spent with stories about her family and the last years. Her brother having his first girlfriend, her cousin getting married and other things Rogue had missed. Then suddenly the brunette’s face lit up.
“What is it, Marie?”
“Nothing. Only Logan returning.” Rogue stood up smiling and walked out of the diner, her family on her heels.
“He's nowhere to be seen.” Her little brother argued the moment the silver Jeep turned around the bend of the road. “How the hell did ya know that?!” The boy and his parents were perplexed.
“Ah just do.” Rogue shrugged and approached the vehicle.
She had told Logan – and even herself – that his faint presence in her mind was a remainder of her former powers, but in truth and that she knew deep down, it was the first sign of her reawakening mutation.
“Already missed me that bad, darlin’?” A smug grin was on his lips as Logan leaned outside the driver window.
“Ah never miss ya, sugar. But why should Ah wait inside, when Ah know the point in time ya’ll return.” This was a lie, but only a small. There were those four months after the cure she was completely cut off of Logan’s presence and the others she’d once absorbed. In those first few weeks of their mutual travel, she had missed him every moment they were apart. Luckily it was only ‘him’ returning to her mind or - and this she feared the most - she’d absorbed his presence anew.
“True.” He smiled at her. “So. C’mon in or you prefer your parents’ car?”
Rogue swiftly turned around to her family hugging everyone quickly. “We’ll see us at the summer cottage. Ah’ll drop by and say g’night. Bye. “
“Bye, honey.”
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Logan drove rather slow giving the D’Ancanto the opportunity to catch up having the same way. “So.” He eventually broke the silence. “Your parents and lil’ bro?!”
“Yeah.” Rogue searched for the reflection of his eyes in the car mirror. “Logan, ya have to believe me, Ah didn’t intend to meet them here. Ah only wanted to share a few days with ya in the place Ah loved as child.”
This gesture warmed Wolverine’s heart, he also wanted to share his past with her but there wasn’t much he knew about himself. “I know, darlin’. How are you?”
“Fine, Ah think. It was really weird.” Rogue thought a moment about their meeting. “And so embarrassing!” Blushing again she covered her face with her hands causing Logan to chuckle.
“It seemed they missed you.”
“Maybe.” A sigh escaped her lips. “They didn’t kick me out after the incident with Cody, but they treated me like a monster, walking on eggshells around me. As if Ah would hurt them when they say a wrong word. Mom was terrified Ah would harm someone at school and soon she took me out.” A single tear run down her cheek. “After Cody woke up from the coma it wasn’t a secret anymore and even the phone calls of mah best friend stopped. It was as if Ah was sick with a highly infectious and deadly virus.” Logan slung his arm over her shoulders and stroked her back soothingly. “At least the virus is cured for the time being.” Rogue whispered.
Logan suddenly stopped the car, Mr. D’Ancanto doing the same preventing a crash in the last second. “Don’t say such stupid things!” He was about to lecture her when he noticed her tear streamed face. “You are perfect, Marie. You always were and always will be. Your mutation is nothing you should feel ashamed 'bout.” Gently Logan wiped her tears away.
“But Ah hurt people. Ah even hurt ya!” New tears welled up in her hazel eyes.
“Marie darlin’, you don’t do it on purpose. For me it doesn’t matter if you have your powers or not.” He paused searching for the right words. “I was never afraid of you! Only for you!” He knew her greatest fear. “Nothing will change when your powers return.” Logan slung his arms around her slender form holding her a moment, as she began crying harder. “You are so strong, Marie. You will learn to control your powers! I know that for sure!” He felt her calm down and her hands on his chest gently pushing their bodies apart.
“Thanks, Logan.” Rogue bent forward kissing his cheek before settling back into the passenger seat.
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“Why did he stop?!” Rogue’s father’s heart was still racing from the almost crash.
The family had a relative good view on the two people in the Jeep. “They seem to talk.”
“Can’t they do that while driving?” Josh was annoyed while his mother became worried. “Is Marie crying?”
“Woah, they don’t have something going on at all!” Josh remarked when he and his parents watched the pair in the other car embrace and Marie kissing Logan on the cheek. Mrs. D’Ancanto was about to open the car door and check on her girl when the Jeep resumed its way down the road.
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When the silver Jeep finally arrived at the small cottage and came to a halt the other car also stopped and Rogue’s mother rushed over to her daughter. “Is everything alright, Marie? Ya cried.”
“It’s fine now. Ah already talked with Logan 'bout it.” The brunette helped Logan take the grocery bags out of the car.
“Ya can always talk to me.”
“Don’t take it personally, Mom, but there are things ya'll never understand.” Rogue saw the hurt in her mother’s eyes. “A lot happened in the last three, almost four years. Ah may be a normal human now, but there are certain topics only one of mah kind can understand.” Unconsciously she called herself still a mutant. “Ah’m sorry, Mom.”
Logan listened to the conversation with ease already carrying two of the three bags into their hut.
Rogue locked the car and held the brown paper bag in her arm. “Ah’m tired and wanna take a shower before bed. We’ll see us tomorrow. Good night.” She looked at the two men in the car. “Good night, Dad. Josh.”
Closing the door behind her, she already heard Logan’s voice. “It’s barely 6:30 pm, Marie.”
“Ah know, but it was a little much for one day.”
“I just finish putting the groceries away and will do a little exploring of the neighborhood. You need time alone to recharge.”
“Ya don’t have to go, sugah. Ah’m always comfortable around ya.” A shy smile appeared on her lips. “Your presence is always with me. Ah’m used to have ya always with me for the last years. If that would change, a part of me would be amiss.”
Logan thought it a good thing that Rogue stood on the other side of their kitchen-living room combination and soon left to get her shower. Sometimes it was almost impossible for him being around her without kissing her. But he was able to resist the temptation - yet.