A knock made her door rattle in its hinges and Marie frowned, who would be stupid enough to dare and wake Becca again. After all, the girl eventually slept in her own crib, far away from the washer and her mother was glad about that circumstance. The knock resounded again and she jumped to her feet and darted over. She opened the door in time to see Logan struck out with his foot once more, his hands occupied with a large package and a bag. "Logan?"
"Mind to clear the way for me to my room, Kid?" The Canadian grunted and made his way into her room and towards the connecting door that was hardly ever closed. He slowly lowered the TV onto his bed and dropped the bag with the baby stuff and a bottle Molson on the floor next to him.
Marie read the label of the box with a bright grin and she immediately started to find a new home for the vase on the dresser, opposite Logan's bed.
Wolverine snickered about his mate's initiative and her choice of where to put the television. If he wouldn't know it better, he'd think her a telepath. The girl was now kneeing on his mattress next to the package and he lifted his brow in amusement. "Don't you have a test, Marie?"
"Ah already learned enough for today." She began to fiddle with the tape in vain. "Let's get that TV up and running."
Chuckling about her enthusiasm he slid one of his claws out and began to cut the cardboard carefully. "Thought you preferred books over the animated version?" With another 'snikt' the claw was hidden in his arm again and he helped Marie free the TV from its wrappings.
"Yes, but not everything exists in book form. Reading a hockey-game might suck even when the Rangers would win." She caught him roll his eyes about her hockey comment and giggled while fishing the manual, remote control and the cables from the box.
An hour later the two sat next to each other on Logan's bed watching a rerun of 'The Simpsons', he was sipping pleased his beer while she chewed happily on chips with Becca sucking on her breast. "So you like it, Kid?" His arm was draped about her shoulders.
Marie laughed about some stupidity in the cartoon. "Yep, ya're a genius, sugah."
"Now you don't have to watch such lovey-dovey crap with the other girls any more." He shuddered at the memory of the constant fights about the program in the rec room and somehow Kitty always got her will with the help of Yellow and some other girls.
Rogue indeed preferred plot to the senseless stories of some soap-operas and had nothing against action or horror, but her former roommates had infected her with a certain sugar-coated show. "Uhu… the final season of 'McLeod's Daughters' is running and Ah wanna know if they're indeed gonna kill Alex." She heard him sigh-growl and grinned. "Thanks."
"But Yellow and Half-Pint stay in the rec-room."
"No objections. Jubes squeals every time Mat has some screen time. Not gonna miss that." Becca was finished and Marie fished the smelly towel from the nightstand and covered her shoulder with it. She did so much laundry today, but that stupid rug hadn't seen a washer from the inside yet. After burping the newborn and wiping the girl's mouth, she placed the baby on her father's chest, who welcomed his tiny daughter with a kiss, and Marie had her hands free to cover her exposed skin again.
Logan caressed the soft cheek of his content little child, quite sure she had a faint smile on her tiny lips. "Momma tastes the best, huh, kiddo?" Grinning down on the serene girl he kissed her forehead again and then took a last sip from his beer before putting the bottle down on the nightstand. His hand moved to Becca's back, stroking her while a light purr began to rumble in his chest.
Marie placed the chips package to the smelly towel on 'her' nightstand and rested her head on Logan's shoulder, snuggling into his side. With a content sigh the brunette was now facing her baby, their heads only inches apart from each other. "Hi, Becca." She whispered to the large blue eyes observing her, the television completely forgotten. The baby cooed in respond and Marie reached for her miniature hand resting next to her face. Giggling she began to rub the small fingers and felt Logan's hand sneak its way to her hip while she relaxed into his warm body. "Ah love ya. Both of ya." She breathed, her chocolate eyes still locked with blue ones.
"I love you two, too." Logan relished in the closeness of his family resting on his chest. The moments were rare, very rare in which he allowed himself to let his guard down and relax in the presence of someone he trusted. He breathed in the calming scents of his two girls, but suddenly he picked up sadness coming from his mate. "Marie?"
She broke the contact with Becca shortly and rubbed the moist from her eyes. "It's the first time… Ah said 'Ah love ya' to Becca."
Logan tilted his head to get a glimpse of the brunette's face, his expression blank.
"She's four days old today! Ah should have told her from the first moment Ah held her!" Tears welled up in her eyes. "No, even before her birth!" A single salty river flowed down her cheek. "But Ah ignored her… pretended her kicks weren't there."
Logan was at a loss of words, unable to come up with something to sooth her. He leaned down and kissed her dark head, burying his nose in her thick mane while hugging her body closer to his. "The same goes for me." He eventually brought out and saw Marie's startled gaze shift to his face. "It's also the first time I told her that I love her."
"We suck as parents." She stated angry with herself and pressed her eyes shut.
"Do we?" He nuzzled the top of her head and glanced over to their little daughter lying on his chest. "She ain't smokin', drinkin' or is tattooed. We can't be that bad, Marie." A strangled laugh rang bitterly from her lips. "We loved 'er from the first moment the shock had worn off, Marie. Doubt she can make sense out of our words yet. But I think she knows that we care for her and try our best." He trailed off and placed a kiss onto his mate's head.
After a long silence, the guilt was still heavy on her chest, Marie eventually shifted so she was propped up on her elbow slightly. "Thanks, Logan." Her lips touched his gently. Then she broke their soft kiss and snuggled back onto his chest, her face close to Becca's sleepy eyes. "Ah'm sorry." She whispered so lightly that Logan only heard it due to his enhanced senses. Stroking the angelic face of her daughter Marie brought the small chubby hand to her lips and kissed the little fist.
They lay cuddled together on Logan's bed and Rogue became sleepy by the rhythmic beating of Logan's heart beneath her ear and the soft purr vibrating in his chest. 'No wonder Becca is asleep again.' Chuckling she met his gaze. "Ya're purring like a cat, sugah."
Frowning slightly Logan became aware of the faint sound he made. 'What the fuck?'
The purr subsided all of a sudden and Marie saw his hazel eyes glaze over, knowing the meaning all too well herself – he was speaking with the Wolverine. "Hey, don't stop it. It was nice." She complained when she saw a smirk tug on the corners of his mouth, telling her his conversation was over.
"Wolverine's doin' that." Logan explained, still surprised and somewhat concerned that he hadn't noticed his alter ego's actions. He didn't like the thought of the animal taking over without his knowledge. But he knew that Wolverine would never harm their mate and cub and this knowledge was calming.
Pouting she locked eyes with him. "Don't stop, Wolverine." She was fully aware that Logan was in full control of his body and mind at the moment, yet she decided to speak directly to his alter ego.
The Canadian chuckled at her mock sadness when he didn't resume the soothing hum immediately while feeling the animal within nudging to the forefront of his mind in order to please his mate's wish. Reluctantly he eased some of the mental confines Wolverine was usually restrained with in his mind, not stepping back from the control, just sharing it a little.
The brunette watched as his hazel eyes darkened slightly, but not to the extent of almost black when Wolverine was mostly in command of Logan's body. The gentleness in those orbs told her that the man was by his senses, not the animal, yet his alter ego wasn't locked away as usually. With a smile she heard the purr return to his chest and rewarded him with a peck. "Thanks, Wolvie."
A few minutes later Marie's eyes dropped shut yet again and a finger began to poke her into the side. "Kid, think it's time for bed."
"Nahhhh." The word turned into a yawn and she buried her face into his soft shirt.
"You know I'm gonna punch Scooter when he calls me a pedophile again and the pansy ass will do that when he finds you asleep in my bed and my arms." Not that he would mind.
"And? His girlfriend is a doctor." Yawn. "Don't see a problem there."
Chuckling he kissed her dark crown and began to lift the shoulder her head was resting on and she slid from his chest with a groan. A little moody about the loss of her comfortable spot on Logan's warm body, the girl pushed herself into a sitting position and wiped a white lock from her field of vision, glancing down on her family. A mischievous grin plastered her lips as her eyes fell onto her serene little angel. "She drools again."
"Ooh, Becca? Thought it was you, Kid." Logan retorted smirking.
"Hey!"
His features became serious when he carefully pushed into a sitting position, holding the sleeping newborn to his chest. "Now get your cute ass off my bed and under your covers, Kid."
"Ooh, Ah have a cute ass." Marie repeated her brows playfully hitched in bewilderment. It wasn't the first time she heard such a comment from Logan – fine, it was the first time coming from the real flesh and blood Logan, but his counterpart in her mind had began quite early after Liberty Island to praise certain body parts when she watched herself in the mirror. "For this nice compliment Ah'll take Becca into her crib."
Logan kissed his daughter good bye and lifted his shirt, inspecting the wet spot on it when Marie picked up the baby gently. "Night."
"Night, Logan." The brunette sauntered over to the connecting door, but stopped in the frame and faced him. "Don't stay up the whole night watching porn, k?" She said with a wide smile before resuming her way to the crib.