Disclaimer: This fan-fiction is not written for profit and no infringement of copyright is intended. Still unbetaed, mistakes are still all mine

CHAPTER 2

“So it’s back,” he said without preamble. He didn’t need to explain himself and she didn’t ask him to. She just nodded mutely, her tear-stained face still red. She was twisting her hands together through the gloves, almost like she wanted to tear at the skin; It was painful to watch.

“Yeah,” she mumbled, “Yeah, it’s back.” Again he made to touch her, to stop those warring hands, and again she pulled away. He felt a surge of helplessness: His attempts to calm her were just upsetting her more.

A beat.

He didn’t know what to say. Neither of them did.

Instead she crossed her arms defensively over her chest, like she was tryin’ to squeeze her heart back into place. It made her look small and very fragile, and Logan was suddenly reminded of that night on the train, when she’d first run away from the mansion and he’d promised her he’d protect her.

It seemed like a million years ago now.

He realised that he was staring. Marie met his gaze without blinking, and like always, he found those direct blue eyes distracting as hell. Not that he’d ever admit it.

Another beat. It seemed to last an age.

“How long?” he asked quietly. The tension in the room making him uncomfortable, their four years apart like a chasm between them. “How long since-?”

“Two days.” He heard Marie’s indrawn breath, saw her steel herself for her answer though he couldn’t imagine why she’d feel the need to. She wrapped her arms more tightly about herself. “It’s been two days.”

“Jesus, Marie.” Two whole days of living through her worst nightmare. Despite his best intensions Logan felt the muscles in his hands, the ones which controlled his claws, twitch. He felt helpless again, enraged at the universe which would do that to his Marie. Just for a second he wanted to skewer something, anything, and his claws very nearly appeared. But he didn’t want to scare her.

Silence.

Again.

“So where’s the Caj- I mean Remy?” he asked eventually. The name tasted sour in his mouth, just like everything else to do with that worthless thief, but he made the effort. She was having a bad enough night without his making it worse.

She flinched, and alarm bells began to ring. He looked at her sharply, but she said nothing, just chewed on her lip. That wasn’t like her, upset or not, and he repeated the question. “Where is he, Marie? Did he go to the store or something? Did he-”

“He left,” she muttered through clenched teeth, her red face turning crimson. Humiliation was written all over her features, her hands twisting now into fists. “He left, okay? Just like you said he would, he left.”

Sonofabitch!

Rage exploded inside him and the claws erupted from his hands on instinct. Suddenly Logan knew precisely who he wanted to skewer. Without a word he crossed the room in two quick strides, putting his face next to hers and grabbing her by her arms. This time he didn’t let go even though she protested. “That Rat Cajun Bastard knew you were hurtin’ and he left you here all alone?” he demanded.

Her eyes went wide. “It wasn’t like that, Logan,” she whispered, “You weren’t there, you don’t know Remy-”

“Don’t do that.” Logan knew his face was incredulous at her words.“Don’t do that Marie.” He began to pace, his claws whistling through the air with each angry gesture. “LeBeau,” and he said the name like it was a dirty word, “Does not get to have you make excuses for him, Marie. Is that straight?”

“You don’t know what happened!” she tried again. “You don’t know what I put him through-”

“I know he shot through when the going got tough!” he snarled. “I know he was always looking for the easy way out! I know he left you alone with the hardest battle you’ve ever faced.” He was pacing now, his manner getting angrier and angrier with each passing second. The image of the last time they‘d seen one another, the night before her wedding, welled up in his mind. He should have stopped her, he should have made her stay with him in the mansion, should have grown a pair and told her how he really felt- Guilt mixed in with the rage, stoking it and making it worse.

“Look at you, Marie!” he muttered, “Look at what he’s done to you! You don‘t deserve this, Kid, nobody deserves this.”

“And you don’t know what you’re talking about!” she snapped, finally riled.

“I know he left you to face this without a backwards glance, Marie,” he was muttering intensely, his face near hers. Carefully he gripped her arms through her house-coat, careful not to make skin on skin contact. Careful not to upset her any more. “Nobody gets to do that to you! Nobody gets to leave my Marie all alone-” and he shook his head angrily.

She blinked. “But Ah’m not your Marie.”

He stopped dead.

“Ah never was, remember?”