Day 20 - Decisions are Made...
Logan was fishing again. It wasn't by choice but rather necessity. They had polished off the last of the tinned meat yesterday, at dinner. And most of the crackers. He sighed regretfully. Beer and cigars all gone too. Marie said that he should have spaced them out a bit, so that they lasted longer, but fuck that - *two weeks* he had been deprived!
He tried to concentrate on his float but was more preoccupied than usual this morning. His gaze dropped to the dark granite of the cliff floor.
She was down in the cave again - said she liked it down there - and he had to admit that the idea provoked some damned fine images. He could just imagine her lounging in that pool, like some exotic water siren -dark hair spread out seductively in the water, those white streaks of hers tinted green by that weird algae effect going on down there.
Whatever scenario, he realised that she was constantly on his mind now. Ironically, as much in *his* head as he was in hers. Was this what being in love was like? That they imprinted themselves into every thought, every dream, every waking moment?
He forced himself to focus back upon his float but the glistening water was distracting. Kept teasing and manipulating his vision making him lose sight of it.
Admitting defeat his eyes flicked down to the cliff again and he wished his mutation would allow him to penetrate through the rock and take a peek at her.
Yeah...she was spendin' most of her time in the grotto now (as she liked to call it). Readin' her magazine and nibblin' that chocolate of hers.
He smirked.
An' it had sparked a plan.
Somethin' she was gonna love.
Only thing was, it was gonna mean going against Chuck's rules - and not even secretly. He was gonna have to ring the Prof on that emergency mobile they had been given and tell him exactly what he intended to do. Exactly what he needed.
He ran a hand through his hair, distractedly, taking the dishevelled look to a whole new level.
But then he had never been one for following rules. Hadn't *not* used the claws, had he? And he had thrown that journal in the ocean a few days ago when he started getting' too heavy with words - too deep with feelin's.
What was the point of writin' it all down anyway - he had to put those feelin's into action.
Hell, *action* was what he was best at!
And now was as good a time as any, since Marie would be well out of earshot.
Securing his fishing line around a small rock, he stood up.
To his surprise he felt kinda excited as he headed back to the shelter.
One phone call comin' up.
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Marie sighed contentedly as she turned the page of her magazine. At the same time, she reached across for another piece of chocolate and popped it into her mouth, savouring undiluted perfection as it slowly melted upon her tongue.
Ah! This was the life! This-was-the-life. A good read, dreamy location and chocolate. What more could a girl want?
Her eyes flicked up to the ceiling and she smiled gently, picturing Logan fishing above. No doubt frowning out to sea as he pondered some dilemma or tortured himself with some inner demon.
Her eyes brightened hopefully. Or perhaps not. Not now. He really was a changed man. It was amazing what two weeks in a set up like this could do. How it could penetrate deep down into the soul and iron out all those emotional kinks.
Captivated by the jade-green play of reflections cast by the water she prayed that this would be the case with Logan. As intensely as she wanted *him*, she wanted him to be at peace. And, as hard as it would be, if ever the former had to be sacrificed for the latter, she would gladly do it.
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Logan shooed the wild pigs away from the shelter, wishing that Marie wouldn't keep feeding them scraps, and went in search of the phone, finally locating it beneath a spare blanket at one corner of the makeshift room. Pulling it out of its leather case he flipped up the cover and glared restlessly down at the display.
He groaned.
One Eye was gonna have a field day with this, damn him.
Before he could change his mind he pressed speed dial to connect to the Professor.
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Marie turned with a start, staring, wide-eyed, in the direction of the cave entrance. It had sounded like one of the dolphins, she was sure of it. That strange clicking noise they made. Had they come back?
Abandoning her magazine beside the remains of the chocolate she waded across the pool and quickly climbed out, an excited smile plastered upon her face.
Blinking in the sunshine, she shadowed her face with her hand and surveyed every inch of the ocean.
Her smile wavered.
Nothing.
Remaining hopeful, she clambered onto one of the rocks for better viewing.
Her smile died. Still nothing. The water was as still and as flat as a mirror.
Her brows pulled inwards with disappointment. She must've been imagining things. Downhearted, she turned to go back into the cave...
She hesitated.
What was that? Floating on the water?
A short distance away, bobbing up and down on the gentle waves, seemingly caught between two small rocks, appeared to be...she frowned in puzzlement...a book?
Whatever was a book doing out in the middle of the ocean?
Her frown deepened as realisation dawned.
Logan's journal! The big cheat had dumped it into the sea! And after all that time she had spent searching for it in the forest too!
Her curiosity giving way to anger - and frustration that he had given up so easily - she was suddenly intent upon retrieving it. Carefully treading her way across the weed-strewn boulders, following the narrow jetty the rocks formed, she crouched down and reached out for the book.
Three attempts later...
Got it!
Snatching up the journal she pulled it from the water, its sodden pages hanging limply from the spine, threatening to fall back into the sea.
Oh Logan - how could you!
Standing up she tried to shake some of the water away but knew it was hopeless - the book was completely ruined. Trying to flick through the pages proved just as fruitless; any writing there might have been was now unreadable.
She'd never know whether Logan had written anything now.
Unless you just ask him, a little voice in her head reminded.
"What ya doin' down there, kid?"
Logan's voice startled her and she turned with a start and stared up at the cliff where he was fishing.
Arms folded across that gloriously naked chest, he stood watching her, a concerned look upon his face.
She held up the journal, giving him a chastising glare.
There was a long moment of strained silence as he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and lowered his gaze, unable to meet Marie's eyes. It was a habit he seemed to have developed during moments of discomfiture and despite her annoyance a part of her found him irresistibly cute at that moment.
"Logan?" Marie prompted, frostily.
He finally met her stare. "It wasn't for me, kid. I just aint a writin' sort of guy."
She sighed gently but found her frustrations swiftly melting away. She returned a small, apologetic smile. "No. No, I know you're not," she accepted quietly, admitting to herself that sometimes she expected more of Logan than he would ever be willing to give.
She peered down at the journal one final time before tossing it back into the sea. It seemed symbolic somehow, like she had finally taken him off that pedestal and accepted him for the man he was. Not the hero, or the X-Man, or the rough invincible cage fighter. Just Logan.
Someone she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
The sun was claiming him possessively again, wrapping him in that ethereal glow that had so enchanted her a few days ago. She grinned whimsically. He almost looked as if he had a halo around that unruly head of hair.
"Hey, be careful down there, Marie!"
As she started back along the jetty she rolled her eyes at his over-protectiveness, yet at the same time she loved it because it made her feel safe and warm and so very happy...
She was still smiling as fate's deceptiveness steered her step toward a clump of dried out seaweed draped innocently across her path. Flicking back her hair, she was oblivious to the fact that beneath it, plumper, fresher weed was concealed. Her face twisted in horror as the rocks gleefully rushed up to greet her. As pain overwhelmed her senses and her vision became stained with red.
As the world turned dark.
"Marie!"
Logan practically threw himself off the cliff edge down into the cove, landing in a squat onto the wet sand. Scrambling up and across the rocks he dropped to Marie's side, scooping her limp form up into his arms and turning her as carefully as his haste would allow.
A nasty gash on her forehead was bleeding profusely and as he moved her a little more, a trickle of blood ran down the side of her face to stain the white streaks of her hair.
"No," he whispered in despair.
He sought out a pulse in her throat and found it alarmingly weak. "Christ, no. No!"
It was Liberty Island all over again.
He didn't think. Didn't hesitate. A second later his lips were crushing down upon hers. Willing her back. Begging her not to leave him.
Nothing happened.
Switch that fuckin' mutation on, baby, he cursed into the silence of his mind. C'mon.
He had no idea how it worked now that she could control it, whether it would remain switched off whilst she was unconscious, so when the pull finally came he was so overwhelmed with relief that he barely registered the pain scorching through his limbs.
That's it, kid. Take what ya need...
She was gonna be all right. That was all that mattered.
It was Logan's turn to surrender to darkness and he welcomed it with open arms.
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"Logan! Please wake up!"
Marie guessed immediately what had happened, having discovered blood on her face and in her hair, but no wound. She had slipped on the rocks, knocked herself out and Logan had healed her. Like before, at Liberty Island.
She had woken to find him laying beside her, unconscious but breathing soundly enough to hesitate before calling the X-Men for assistance.
Or was she just being selfish?
She knew that if they came to the rescue it would all be over. She could hardly bare the thought of leaving the island as it was, but to leave early...before ...before...
She knew Logan loved her. She had absorbed enough of his recent memories to know that now. But it was important that *he* made that first move. Not because of some romantic notion on her part but for *him*. And he was so close...it was there in *her* head now: his secret little plan...that phone call to the Professor. She almost felt bad that she had spoilt the surprise.
But would everything change if they returned to the institute now? She knew he found it stifling. That he couldn't always relax enough to be himself. She also knew that he was concerned how the other X-Men would react to a relationship between them.
Would he just run again? Give up on *them*, like he had the journal?
She felt the tears prick at her eyes. Had the island's healing powers had enough time to penetrate deep enough?
She looked about her anxiously. She had to make a decision. And soon. The tide was eventually going to come in again. Not for a while yet, but she had no idea how long Logan was going to be out. And although he did seem OK, she didn't have enough medical knowledge to be one hundred percent certain of his condition.
Her selfishness could lose him and she wouldn't risk that.
Ever.
She brushed a lock of stray hair from his face and reached down to gently kiss his cheek. He had a beard now, being unable to shave, and the hairs tickled her lips. "I'll be back in no time at all," she whispered softly. She hesitated before adding: "I love you, Logan. I've loved you from the first moment I saw you."
Leaning back on her heels she took a deep breath, finally standing up determinedly.
She had a call to make.
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