Over the next two hours, the group of six started at the highest floor of the mansion and went through every room carrying salted holy water, a lighted candle, censers of frankincense, and psychically swept the place out, room by room, hallway by hallway, floor by floor, and on into the underground. Every portal was asperged and smudged, every drain, every window, even every mirror, since Bryony insisted a mirror was a portal for spirits and energy, as much as a window or door.
With every inch of the place cleansed, even the grounded, practical Logan had to admit that the place somehow felt cleaner, lighter, fresher than it had before, like a spring rainstorm had passed through the building, washing it clean. It felt good.
It was nearly two in the morning when they’d all finished and gathered in the kitchen at Bryony’s insistence that food was needed to ground all the energy they’d expended. She started scrambling eggs and frying sausage while the two brothers started dragging anything they could find from the refrigerator, making an impromptu buffet on the counter tops. Salsa, butter, cheese, onions and jalapenos turned into omelets. Jubilee found a bag of frozen biscuits and slammed them into the oven. A half-hour later, they were all stuffing themselves with abandon.
Apparently, ghost-busting is hungry work, Logan thought to himself as he slathered butter on a hot biscuit. He noted Dean and Rogue whispering to each other as they sat side by side at the long end of the counter, stools tucked closely together. He glared at the hunter, who once glanced toward him with a cocky grin before returning his attentions to the young woman beside him. Jubilee had her hand on Sam’s thigh, who seemed comfortable enough as he plowed through a cheese and jalapeno omelet.
Swallowing the mouthful of biscuit, Logan leaned over to Bryony and softly asked, “Do you think it worked?” He’d told her everything he remembered of the exorcism ritual.
Nodding while she swallowed her own mouthful, she answered, “Yep. From what you’ve told me, and from what I can ‘feel’ in this place, and with the cleansing we gave it, then yes, I am sure they’re gone. But let’s ask the experts.” She turned toward the hunters.
“Sam, Dean - are you sure the ghosts are gone?”
“Absolutely.” Dean said around a mouthful of sausage. “Between the incantation and the blood-burning and the salt, the strongest one - the officer - went bye-bye in a burst of black flame. He’s done for. The others faded before he did.” He forked another link and waved it in the air before Rogue’s mouth, then let her bite the end off with a grin. “They’re toast, for sure.” He ate the rest of the link and a piece of toast.
Sam nodded his agreement, then added, “They’re gone. The incantations I used were an acknowledgment of the seance’s opening, then a gathering of the unwelcome spirits, then a banishment, and a ritual closing of the portal. They’re gone from this plane, and the welcome mat, so to speak, has been pulled in. They can’t come back.”
“So it’s over?” Logan asked.
“It’s over,” Bryony confirmed with a confident grin. “The place is clean, and the kids can come back tomorrow.”
“Which means, the grown-ups have the whole mansion to themselves for tonight, and I for one intend to make use of that fact. How about you and me take the whole third floor for a little one-on-one time, tall, dark and handsome?” She purred at Sam, who blushed, squirmed, and then tentatively reached out for her hand.
“Why not? It’s been a long road trip, and one hell of a long, hard night.”
“We’ll see if we can’t make it just a bit longer and harder, then,” quipped Jubilee and then Sam really did blush, but followed the young woman out the door into the dark hallway, looking back at his brother with a shrug of the shoulders and a cheesy grin.
Bryony fought off a yawn, then drank down the cup of tea she’d been nursing. It was after three am and she was getting tired. Logan looked into her dark eyes and knew he’d welcome her company in his bed. “Come on up to my room, you’re beat.”
“Does that mean we take the second floor?” She grinned at him.
“Yeah.” Turning to Dean and Rogue at the far end of the counter, Logan added, “Can you two handle locking this place down for tonight? Rogue knows the security room and how to activate all the alarms. You,” he focused on Dean,” can bunk down in the library. There’s a couch in there that’ll hold one person comfortably enough.”
“He can have my room,” Rogue cut in. “Dean is a guest and he deserves a bed.”
“Your bed?” Logan started to rise from the stool. The look on his face was unmistakable hostility.
“Any bed he wants,” Rogue confirmed and stood up as well, facing Logan down as they both stepped into the kitchen aisle, staring hard at each other. Dean grinned and ate a huge bite of omelet. Bryony observed the exchange with an inscrutable expression.
“And how far does your hospitality go?” Logan knew he’d stuck his foot in his mouth as soon as the words came out.
“Why didn’t you question Jubilee when she invited Sam along with her? Are we not all equals here? You’ve got your bed buddy for the night all arranged, so why are you giving me grief for being a good hostess and at least trying to make a guest comfortable in a decent bed?” Rogue knew the conversation was going down a bad path, but her anger was up and she refused to hold back any more.
“Because Jubilee is not you,” Logan growled low, not willing to give up any more emotion in a response, not with strangers watching.
“Logan, go on to bed, trust me to lock the place down, and leave it alone, now!” Rogue growled right back at him. “I know what I’m doing.”
“No, you don’t! He’s not good enough for you, and he’ll just pack up and move on tomorrow, and you’ll be hurt.”
The gloves were off, figuratively, and Rogue stopped caring. “Listen to yourself! You sound like my father trying to lecture me against having a romp in the hay with you, for godssake! Logan, your biggest argument against Dean is that he’s probably too much like you! You’re the love-‘em-and-leave-‘em king of the whole continent, and you’re bitching at me for inviting a man to sleep in my bed? What a hypocrite you are!”
Logan spared a glance at Dean, who was apparently enjoying the show while he continued shoveling food between grins.
“He’s nothing like me,” Logan stated flatly.
“Oh, bullshit!” Rogue waved one hand dismissively in the air. “You two are like peas in a pod.”
“I can’t wait to hear this,” Dean commented to Bryony, who still sat unmoving and silent. Rogue continued.
“You’re both flirts, both charming, and good-looking...” Dean winked at Bryony, who finally rolled her eyes. “... territorial, take-charge leader types, alpha males to the hilt... you even both have hazel eyes and are too damned sexy for anyone’s good.”
Logan fumed in silence. Dean grinned and ate a jalapeno, then mopped his nose from the heat assailing his sinuses. Bryony observed once again in calculated silence. Dean ate a second pepper, then gasped out, “Got any cold beer?”
“No,” Logan growled at the same time Rogue answered, “Yes,” and pointed at the fridge. Dean pulled out a beer and kept a respectable distance from the arguing mutants. Logan bit down the urge to take the Molson out of the punk’s hand, but reined himself in a little.
What Logan desperately wanted to do right now was grab Rogue and kiss the daylights out of her, but then he thought of the woman he’d already invited into his bed tonight, sitting right behind him, and felt a stab of guilt. Rogue was right - he was overstepping his bounds.
“Do what you want,” was as close as Logan would go toward an apology, then turned toward Bryony and reached for her hand. He knew he was in deep shit when she sat still, not responding to his invitation. “Want to crash now?” He tried to soften his voice, take the tension out of the situation.
“I think I’d best go home tonight. It’s been a very trying couple of days. I’ll let myself out, thanks.” She stepped past Logan, turned back long enough to kiss his cheek, and moved toward the door.
“Bryony... “ Logan began, then silenced.
“We’ll talk soon, Logan. Goodnight.” Bryony moved further toward the door, then turned to Dean who was relishing the beer. “If you need a place to crash, there’s a spare room at my farmhouse. You know the way.”
“Think I’ll take you up on that,” Dean commented as he rose from the table. “It seems there’s still a lot of tension around here.” He focused on Rogue, adding, “Thanks for the invitation, but I think you’ve got some stuff going on here to sort out, and I’d just be in the way. ‘Night.” He grabbed the shotgun and a duffle bag from the counter and followed the witch out the door. He’d call Sammy in the morning by cell phone and they’d haul ass for Jersey when everyone was conscious and vertical again.
Rogue stood stiff and silent, her back turned toward Logan who stood stiff and silent behind her. Just when the tension was about to break him, he heard her give an un-lady-like snort, then start to laugh with the irony of it.
“Oh lordy, Logan. We’ve both just been dumped at the same time.”
“Yep, looks like it.” Logan shoved his hands in his pockets, just for something to do.
“You like her,” Rogue turned and commented, knowing it was the truth.
“Yeah, I do.” Logan waited a few moments before adding, “And you really liked him?” Rogue noted the tone of disbelief in Logan’s voice.
“Yeah, you know, on the surface, since I’ve only known him a few hours. Guess I’m attracted to the ‘type’ he is... the alpha thing. That’s very attractive to me.” Her head went down then, and she continued, “But it can’t be. I can’t touch, and no man’s gonna want that in a woman.”
“When you fall in love with the right man, it won’t matter. You’re young, Marie. Give it time.”
Rogue felt something break inside her, and she pushed it down, turning to face Logan finally.
“You better call Bryony tomorrow and see if you can salvage what you’ve started with her. I’ve seen the way you two are together. There’s something there. Fight for it.”
“I don’t think so.” His head went down, his eyes studying the floor.
“You just admitted you like her,” Rogue commented, stepping closer to him, resting one gloved hand on his forearm. “Isn’t that worth at least a phone call, or better yet a conversation over lunch?”
Shoving his free hand through his mussed hair, Logan sighed but remained silent for a long time, then admitted, “I don’t know. This is not territory I’m familiar with, all this relationship stuff. I’m in over my head, and I don’t know how to handle it, or even if I want to handle it.”
“Bryony said she’d talk to you soon. If you don’t know what to do, then let her take the lead. Women like that occasionally, you know. Feel her out, see how she feels about the situation. If she likes you, too, then start over. You met under a very difficult circumstance, so try it without the pressure, and see what happens.”
“What the hell are you doing, advising me on my love life? What happened to that teenage crush you had on me when we first came here? Now you’re trying to hook me up with another woman?” Logan grinned at Marie, trying to break the tension between them, then instinctively knew that he’d once again wandered onto dangerous ground.
“I’m trying to be an adult here,” Marie admitted, drew a deep, steadying breath, and continued. “There was a crush. It changed. I love you. I hope there comes a point in my life where I can show a man that kind of love in a very physical way, that won’t be a deadly risk. But until that time, I can’t commit to anyone. I don’t want second-best in anything.” She stood silently for a few moments before continuing. “If you have a shot at a relationship, then take it. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work; and it won’t be the first time two people couldn’t patch something together.”
“Considering that she just walked out on me and invited that guy along with her, I don’t think there’s much chance of patching anything. And I don’t blame her.”
“She knows how I feel about you, and I’m betting she knows how you feel about me, since you’ve spent so much time with her. Did you know she’s a touch-empath?”
Logan stared hard into Rogue’s eyes. “She told me she wasn’t a mutant. Now you’re saying she’s a ‘path?”
“No, not a mutant telepath. An empath is a person who is sensitive to others’ emotions, and her senses are very heightened in that respect. She told me about it while she was teaching me. You can’t hide much from empaths if you get close to them. And you got close, I’m betting...” Rogue smiled up at Logan’s befuddlement, “...very close.”
“Still, she’s gone and he’s with her. That says it all,” Logan stated flatly, trying to get into don’t-give-a-shit mode.
“And if you’ll remember, she offered him the spare room. Details, sugar, it’s all in the details. Call her tomorrow and see how she’s doing, and let fate take it from there. You can check the security room. I’m going to bed. ‘Night.”
“Night, darlin’,” Logan smiled and swept one arm behind Rogue’s shoulders, then planted a quick kiss on her bare forehead, not allowing her skin time to react, then strode toward the security room.
A half-hour later, Rogue settled into bed and dropped quickly into a deep, undisturbed sleep, the first in many days and nights.
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