Days 17 & 18 - A Discovery
"You gonna join me fishin' this mornin'?"
Marie shook her head distractedly. "Maybe later, Logan."
"Ya said that last time," he complained, although a slither of amusement snaked through his words.
"Yeah, well I got kinda preoccupied."
He frowned. "What the hell with? This island aint big on entertainment!"
She shrugged. "Just thinking and stuff."
He eyed her incredulously. "Right."
She felt a pang of guilt as she watched him walk away. He had looked almost disappointed. She did genuinely want to fish with him but she had spent practically all of yesterday trying to decipher that damned riddle of the Professors, wandering the island for anything - animal, vegetable or mineral - that might spark an idea.
But then Logan had returned, and she had made dinner, and they had started joking about the bad habits of the X-Men. That had progressed into Logan revealing naughty and embarrassing secrets of the men's locker rooms, and she, in turn, the women's.
It had proven to be a most enlightening conversation, to say the least. And she only hoped that Jean didn't have a toe-sucking fetish. Not if Scott's Athlete's Foot was as bad as he described. Ewwwwwwww!
When it had been her turn, Logan had been fascinated to learn that several of the X-Women sported small tattoos in rather discreet places. The fact that Storm had a tiny rose on her left buttock cheek literally had him salivating. Men, she decided despairingly. It didn't take much!
He had also been amused to learn that she had been tempted to have her own tattoo saying something like "touch anywhere you like" once she had gained control over her mutation, his eyes lighting up wickedly. But joking aside, it was a startling contrast to how she used to feel, trapped in her poison skin. Back then the only tattoo she would have considered was "TOXIC!"
As well as pondering riddles to no avail, she had spent much of the previous day nosing around trying to locate the hiding place of Logan's journal. Despite the recent distraction, she hadn't forgotten that final entry of his and it was still concerning her. Several times she had almost blurted out to Logan that she had read it and wanted to know exactly what had changed between them, but every time she had chickened out.
The fact that Logan seemed to be spending all his time fishing at the opposite end of the island now, only added to her fears. She knew that she was probably making mountains out of molehills - there wasn't a lot else for him to do really - and in all honesty, when they were together Logan was basically the same as he had always been. There was just something different in his eyes. It was only subtle, and it wasn't always there, but...
Marie, she scolded. Stop it! Concentrate on *one* riddle at a time! And as Logan was sure to be the more complicated of the two, the Professor's puzzle was by far the easier to deal with first.
Today, she was determined to find that box! To surprise Logan and take great pleasure in seeing the look on his face when she handed him a nice, big-ole cigar. She liked making him happy. It made her happy. And just watching those heart-stopping hazel eyes of his crinkle at the corners as he smiled a pure unadulterated smile, was enough to make her melt into a gooey mass.
Logan was disappearing into the distance now, the sun possessively tracing his silhouette with golden light, giving him an otherworldly aura. It made him look like some fallen angel, beautiful and tragic, fighting inner demons as well as those, like the Brotherhood, on the outside...
She felt a pull on her heartstrings. Suddenly the need to be with him proved overwhelmingly intense.
She quickly stood up.
"Logan!"
The distant figure stopped and slowly turned, finely tuned hearing having no trouble picking up her cry.
As she hurried across the beach, the aura effect surrounding him gradually ebbed away, but he looked no less commanding. Wearing nothing but denim shorts, his body was bronzed to perfection, the deep tan flattering every finely chiselled muscle, each long strapping limb.
He looked amazing.
And VERY hot!
Marie's throat went dry as she drank him in like a fine wine. The aftertaste left her giddy.
"I..." She could barely get the words out. "I changed my mind."
He grinned smugly but she could tell that he was pleased. "Good. Then you carry this," he returned coolly as he shoved a small bag in her hands and then started off again.
She quickly pulled up alongside him. "Feels kinda squishy. What is it?"
"Bait."
She made a face. "Ewwwwwww!" and shoved it back into his arms.
He rolled his eyes good-humouredly. "Women!"
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Ten minutes later Logan has set up the fishing equipment - not a proper rod, which had been regarded as a luxury item, but a basic hook and line - and had lain out his bait (a varying assortment of worms and slugs from the forest area, and the previous day's uneaten fish) beside him.
"Fish eat other fish?" Marie asked curiously, wrinkling her nose in distaste. The heat made the smell ten times worst. She sat a short distance away, on the edge of one of the lower rock faces, her legs dangling down into what appeared to be a small cove. It was beneath water at that moment, the surf surging back and fourth languidly, seemingly as laid back as the island itself, but she guessed that the tide would be going out very soon.
"Fish eat anythin', darlin'."
Logan's attentions were already focused on his float as it bobbed up and down contentedly, teased by the gentle waves. He had thrown the line on the other side of the cove, in deeper darker water, where the fish were more likely to linger. A slightly curving line of sparkling, sun-kissed rock, almost like a natural jetty, divided the two areas.
"I'll remember that next time I take a swim," she grimaced.
"Turn ya mutation on when ya do. Might be a quicker way to catch em," he threw back wittily.
Marie regarded him hopefully. "On the subject of swimming..."
"Don't even go there," he warned.
"Oh, come on. Take a dip with me. *Please*. Fair's fair. I've joined you fishing and now you should return the favour." Before he could respond she hastily added, voice sympathetic: "and I know what you said. About how you feel about water. And I do understand."
She really did. She hated what those bastards did to him! She had seen it in enough of her own nightmares to know the full extent of the pain Logan had suffered.
"But I promise you I'll make it fun. Make you forget any connection to...to that place." She gestured to the ocean. "How can you resist? This place is too beautiful for words."
She grinned. "And I also think you should prove to me that you really *can* swim. Because I don't know if I believe you."
"You callin' me a liar?" he demanded, in a burst of mock-anger.
"You bet I am!" she insisted stubbornly.
Their eyes locked, neither backing down and he eventually sighed his defeat. "OK. *One* swim. I pick what day though." He wagged a finger at her and she had to resist the impulse to reach across and bite it. "Now quit naggin'."
She smiled. She could always win the big lug over! "You won't regret it."
"Yeah, but you might," he predicted mysteriously.
"Oooh promises, promises!"
"Just keep your eyes on the damn float."
She sought it out. "Looks just like a stick to me."
"Yeah, well Chuck's *basic* supplies wouldn't stretch to a proper float so I had ta make me own."
"What's the fancy feather for?"
"The colour attracts the fish."
"Really?"
"Really!" he teased.
"You're very inventive," she ribbed back.
"Yeah, well, when you've spent as much time in the backwoods as I have, ya develop a few skills."
She watched him fondly, particularly loving this side of Logan, always relishing the rare sparks of emotion it could provoke from him. Most people loved nature, it was only natural, but Logan's attachment to it almost bordered upon necessity. And like an animal losing its vigour when forced into captivity, being too long away from the wilds could do the same to Logan.
"You must be missing it," Marie pointed out softly. "You've been at the institute for a long time now without going off on any trips or anything."
"Yeah," he agreed quietly. "I miss it."
"Then why don't you go back?"
He was silent for a long drawn out second, eventually adding: "'cause I'd miss someone else more."
Although he continued to stare out across the ocean, giving nothing away, she knew he meant her and her heart soared. Desperate now to know what he had meant by the: 'everything's changed' written in his journal; his words gave her the extra encouragement she needed. She was about to just blurt it out when he abruptly stood up.
"Be back in a minute. Keep watchin' that float."
As he began to walk away she peered back at him in frustration, her nerve dissipating already. "Where are you going?"
He smirked back at her. "Nature calls, darlin'."
She blushed. "Oh, right."
Shoulders heaving in disappointment, she turned back to the ocean. Damn that man! Damn all men and their petty insecurities!
Leaning back on her hands she closed her eyes and dropped her head back to enjoy the sun on her face. The heat was simply glorious. She could stay like this forever.
She tutted, annoyed, trying to improve her position. Although these rocks were hard as hell against her ass.
She started. Hard?
Quickly opening her eyes she glanced wildly around her. Rocks!
Scooting forward she excitedly peered down between her dangling legs at the cove, at the swirls of surf sucking in and out of all the dips and gullies forged over the centuries...
Oh my god! She had it!
Soft and hard!
Water and rock!
The box was here! Somewhere! It had to be! At Logan's Lookout!
Her eyes drew inwards, realising that the falling tide was already starting to reveal a small section of wet pebbly sand. It seemed to extend back...like a narrow gorge with rocks either side...although she couldn't see how far back it actually went.
It was almost as if it might lead into a cave...
"Through this I know the advantage of taking no action."
The answers were coming to her thick and fast now.
Do nothing! Just wait until the tide goes out!
The box was in a CAVE!!!
She was so thrilled that she had worked out the Professor's riddle that she almost fell off the edge of the cliff. It wasn't too far down but still could've been a nasty fall.
She swept her gaze the length of the cove, noting the haphazard distribution of rocks, and wondered how the hell she was supposed to get down there? There *must* be a way, for the box to have been put in the cave in the first place.
"Thought I told ya to watch the float!"
She gasped at Logan's voice and snapped her head back to meet his gaze.
His mild annoyance melted into concern. "Hey? You OK?"
She forced a smile, heart still racing from her discovery. "Fine! I'm fine, Logan!"
Nodding his satisfaction he resumed his position beside his bait.
Watching him, Marie chewed down upon her lip, perplexed. How could she search for the box without raising his suspicions? If she said she wanted to explore the area now, he was sure to want to accompany her in case she slipped on the rocks or something - he could be dreadfully over-protective at times. She couldn't go first thing in the morning before he awoke because the tide would still be in. Then he spent most ofhis time here during the day.
Damn it! Another conundrum!
Initial elation swiftly deflating, she dropped her chin into her hands gloomily.
Logan chuckled at her. "Cheer up, kid. You'll put the fish off bitin'."
Sticking her tongue out at him a grin snuck back across her lips. Not wanting him to suspect anything she looked thoughtful for a moment and then decided: "Tell me some more of those locker-room stories."
It was becoming too hot for any more thinking anyway, she decided sleepily. The treat-box could wait a little longer. The main thing was that she had worked out its location. Or at least she hoped she had. Right now, she fancied doing some listening for a while...and Logan's voice, sparing with words as he was, was a treat in itself.
"Come on...spill some more beans," she persisted. "Which of you has the biggest..."
He looked across at her in shock.
"....locker!" she giggled.
His chest seemed to puff out in pride. "Who d'ya think, darlin?"
It was her turn to be shocked...and kinda hopeful...because she didn't think he was talking about lockers either!
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Day 18
Marie woke the next day with a plan already ripe and ready for the performing. She just had to wait for Logan to leave. It wasn't a very nice plan, was a little mean actually, but the only thing her useless brain had came up with.
It basically entailed: trash shelter, blame it on the pigs, get Logan to put it back together again, during which time she could search that cave. Simple.
Much to her frustration, however, he seemed in no hurry to start fishing.
"You fishin' again today?" she prompted, trying hard to keep the impatience from her tone.
"Dunno."
Squatting before the small fire, thigh muscles bulging deliciously, Logan was in the process of scraping the remains of breakfast from the saucepan. His look was one of sheer intensity as he meticulously covered every inch of the pan, allowing nothing to go to waste. Considering he claimed to hate porridge when they first arrived he was sure enjoying it now. Marie would have found it amusing if she wasn't so eager for him to make his exit.
She tried not to glare at him. "But you *always* go fishing."
"Getting a bit sick of it now," he confessed rather pitifully. "I'm startin' to smell like a fuckin' fish."
OK, she decided calmly, concealing clenched fists behind her back. On to plan B. "Then can I ask a favour?"
He flicked his eyes onto her, then about to stick the spoon in his mouth.
She casually gestured to the shelter behind them. "Could you do some more modifications? There are a few bits of wood coming loose at the back and I don't fancy a repeat of that crab fiasco. The roof could also do with some reinforcements. The Professor warned that there could be the odd storm."
"Consider it done," Logan returned with a simple nod, and she guessed he was relieved to have something else to do besides catch fish.
She smiled triumphantly - now *that* was easy. And it left her with less of a bad conscience than if she had trashed it and blamed it on the pigs. She mentally thanked men's obsessions with DIY.
But how long should she wait for the tide to go out?
They had slept in a little later that morning, having chatted around the fire until the wee hours. They had covered everything from past X-Men missions to Logan's cage fighting tactics and a whole lot more in-between. She had never known him to be so relaxed and at ease in conversation and attributed it to another miraculous effect that the island had over its inhabitants.
By the time they went to sleep she realised that despite having Logan in her head, she really didn't know him at all.
"Think I'll take this lot to the well," she started, rising to her feet to search for the string bag. She regarded the now spotless saucepan wryly. "Although I think you've cleaned most of it already!"
Grinning, Logan lightly tossed the pan down onto the sand and dropped the spoon into it. "Wanna hand?"
"No, that's OK. I can manage. You can make a start on the shelter."
"Yes, mam!" he teased.
Her hands dropped to her hips playfully. "Yeah...I'd like an extra room...a higher roof...and a window would be *especially* nice..."
"That's practically asking me to rebuild the damn thing!"
"Do you *have* anything better to do?"
He ran a hand through his hair, perspiration slicking it back in a way that made it appear flatter and longer. "Nah," he admitted finally. "Guess not." He peered across at the shelter dutifully. "One window comin' up."
Satisfied, Marie snatched up the breakfast things, dumped them in the bag and flashed Logan a grateful smile. "Thanks! You're a sweetie!" she gushed, very tempted to mess up his hair as she passed. Resisting the impulse, instead she turned and pretended to set off in the direction of the well, hoping that it was just the sun burning into the back of her head and not two suspicious feral eyes. When she felt sure that she was no longer visible, she hooked the bag on a tree branch and hurried off for Logan's Lookout.
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Frowning thoughtfully, Logan watched Marie go, trying hard not to ogle her ass in the process but failing miserably. Something wasn't right. Something...was wrong.
At least in the way she was acting. That ass was *beyond* perfection.
He folded his arms across his broad chest. What was she up to?
She had been acting weird for a while now. Ever since she had joined him fishing yesterday morning.
A spark of concern burnt the back of his throat. Was it because of what he had said when they had been talking? That he hadn't gone back to Canada because he realised he would miss someone more? She was sure to have put two and two together - she was a smart kid. She would've known he meant her.
Perhaps he shouldn't have said anything. Perhaps he should've said more. But he was trying to build up to things slowly...
Poking a toe in the water, so to speak, before he took that ultimate no-turning-back plunge.
He turned his head in surprise. The ocean seemed to respond to his doubts, the surf sighing regretfully, whispering encouragement as it lapped back and fourth against the shore.
Do-it...it urged. Do-it.
Easy for you to say, bub, he thought dryly. You've got most of the fuckin' world under your thumb.
But joking aside, the simple fact was, he didn't want to mess up. Too much was at stake. He didn't know what he'd do if he ever lost Marie.
He glanced back at the trees; in the direction she had gone, debating whether or not he should follow her. He then considered the shelter some more.
Oh hell. Perhaps he was just being paranoid. Over-protective. Too controlling?
He ducked into the shelter and made a beeline for the meagre supply of tools they had been left. Yeah, Logan, he growled into his subconscious, leave the kid alone and turn this piece-of-shit hovel into something half-decent!
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Marie found herself once more at Logan's Lookout, on the edge of the low cliff face where she and Logan had fished the day before. Peering over the side to check out the tide situation, she grinned elatedly as she noted the tantalising pathway of wet pebbly sand - the foamy water declining quite quickly now. She did a mental high five with her inner Logan, who was enjoying these shenanigans almost as much as she was.
That box of treats was theirs for the taking!
She scampered back up to her feet and surveyed the rocky area, eyes noting a suspect dip about fifty feet away. Upon closer examination she was delighted to discover a discreet but manageable descent down into the cove.
Her training as an X-Man meant the modest climb posed no problems whatsoever and when she dropped gracefully down onto the softly yielding sand her heart began to race in anticipation.
The cave - and yes, she could definitely see it was a cave entrance now! - wasn't immediately accessible and she had to clamber over a challenging barricade of varying sized boulders first, some of which were draped in swathes of dangerously slippery seaweed. But taking it slow and being careful she soon reached her destination.
She felt unsettlingly anxious as she stood in front of the cave entrance. It was a little lower than shoulder height, and would've been too narrow for someone like Colossus to squeeze though. Logan might just make it, at a push. It was also kinda dark. Although that may have been because it appeared to curve inwards so her view of what might be inside was concealed slightly.
She chewed down upon her lip, suddenly wishing that she *had* told Logan about the Professor's message after all. For she would happily let him go in first... But hey, she reminded herself. She was an X-Man now! They laughed in the face of fear...and little defenceless caves.
"Just do it," she whispered encouragingly. "'Cause the sooner you do, the sooner you can surprise Logan with those treats."
Taking a deep breath she stepped into the darkness.
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Logan threw down the part-rusted saw and scrubbed a hand across his face, wiping away the beads of sweat from his forehead. Fuckin' useless tools! Scooter probably wore them down on purpose knowing that he wasn't supposed to use his claws. The poker-ass was probably having a laugh about it right now in the rec room with Storm and Jean.
He scowled irately, a trickle of perspiration trailing a feather-light path down his back, making him squirm. Well, screw that!
Snikt!
The 3 8inch claws glinted menacingly in the sunlight, itching to do some damage. Logan looked about him warily, almost as if he half expected Chuck to have installed surveillance cameras in the palm trees. Then he grinned deviously.
This was gonna get Marie's window made a whole lot quicker.
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The path leading into the cave did indeed curve slightly and as she rounded the bend it became reassuringly yet unexpectedly lighter. She could also make out the sound of running water. Not lacking enough to be classed as a trickle, but not too powerful to become alarmed about.
Her excitement returned with a vengeance, chasing her fears away, as she stepped into the cave.
She gasped.
"Oh my god."
It was beautiful.
Like some magical oceanic grotto.
A sunken, slightly elongated pool of green-tinted water took centre stage, surrounded by low uneven platforms of strangely iridescent rock that also glowed green. Everything appeared to be coated in some sort of algae and light filtering in through several gaps in the rock only served to emphasise the bizarre phenomenon.
The source of the falling water she had heard turned out to be a small waterfall (she had found her romantic waterfall after all, she delighted!), tumbling down from a lower gap in the wall into the pool, and she wondered if it filtered in from that deeper darker water that Logan preferred to fish in. It was impossible to determine the location of anything from down here though and she was too enamoured of her surroundings to really care.
Although she hadn't forgotten about the box...
She glanced around her and it didn't take long to spy the treasure in one of the openings in the rock. About the size of a small beer crate (was there meant to be some irony in that, she wondered), it fitted the niche snugly, blocking much of the space and allowing only a few shivers of light to enter the cave.
She smiled happily. Bingo!
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Logan suddenly retracted his claws and glared back in the direction he had last seen Marie.
The groove between his unruly brows curved downward and deepened. She would've finished washing the breakfast things by now, surely?
He shook his head in defeat. It was no good. He just *had* to know what she was up to.
Dumping the half-finished window frame onto his shredded sleeping bag he turned and started off towards the forest, following the faintly lingering trail of her scent.
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Now that the box had been located, for a while Marie was content to simply sit at the pool edge, idly swirl her feet in the cool water, and just soak up the atmosphere. She felt she had truly found one of nature's gems - the heart of this island paradise - and doubted she'd be so lucky again. She couldn't believe that she and Logan had been sitting practically on top of it, completely unaware of the secret the cliff concealed.
She glanced up at the box once more, wondering what secrets *that* might conceal and it was enough to goad her into action again.
Rising to her feet she skirted the edge of the pool (vowing that she was going to take a bath in it before the day was over) and used a suitably positioned rock to give her the step up she needed.
The box had been wedged in frustratingly tight and proved a struggle to move even an inch. Puffing out her cheeks she geared herself up, deciding to give it all the elbow grease she possessed, and began to tug with all of her might.
Only she pulled a little too hard.
Letting out a shriek Marie was propelled backwards by the sudden release of the heavy box from the rock. It soared safely over her head but both of them landed, with impressive splashes, into the centre of the pool.
For a few seconds all she could see was a rush of green bubbles as her head dipped below the water, but in the next instance she was inhaling air again, spluttering and cursing the Professor and stupid hiding places.
The treats! she despaired, as she quickly gathered her senses once more, and she prayed that the box was watertight. Wet hair plastered to her face like a second skin she turned just in time to see it sink below the surface.
Shit!
Yet something else also caught her attention. A sound...
Laughing...
As she met Logan's gaze his eyes were wet with tears. In fact, he was laughing so hard that he was bent from the waist and clutching desperately at his sides. When he could finally get the words out all he managed to blurt was: "What the hell are you doin', kid?"
"Drowning, for all you care!" Marie retorted childishly, slapping her hands down into the water.
"In a few feet? I don't think so, darlin'." He gestured to the submerged box curiously. "What's in the treasure-chest? Blackbeard's stash of gold bullion?"
"For your information, its some treats from the Professor. That may even contain a cigar or two!" That, Marie decided crossly, should wipe that smirk off his face!
Logan was in the pool and staking his claim before she had barely finished the sentence. She watched him in grudging amusement. "Hey! I found it!" she reminded sourly.
Logan heaved the box up through the water, grunting loudly as he deposited it, with a dull thud, onto the cave floor. "Yeah, but whose gonna carry it back to camp?"
Cocking her head to one side in an attempt to rid herself of the last traces of water from her ears, she smiled sheepishly. "Point taken."
Logan climbed effortlessly out of the pool, turned, and stretched out his hand. "C'mon, kid'. The sooner we get back the sooner we open that box."
Marie looked around her, reluctant to leave the cave so soon.
"Marie?" Logan prompted impatiently.
Realising that there was always tomorrow - and another ten more days after that -she finally offered him her hand. "If there aren't any cigars...you won't be *too* mad will you?"
He shook his head, unconvinced, as he pulled her from the water. "There'll be cigars. Chuck wouldn't dare take the risk."
"Risk of what?"
Snikt!
"These, darlin'. Painfully inserted where the sun don't shine!"
Marie laughed. "Put those things away and start carrying!" But as she followed Logan back out into the cove she added: "Although if the Professor hasn't put any chocolate in there I might be willing to watch you perform such a punishment!"
Grinning from ear to ear, she shook her head in disbelief. She was soaking wet, painfully self-conscious and suffering from acute humiliation, but right now she was happier than she had been in a long time.
And to top it off, Logan's body looked even *more* delicious when wet.
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