It was Katherine who saw him first, she was tending to the kitchen garden she'd planted when she'd seen the mansions long lost son come walking through the grounds. The bike he'd taken was somewhere else, the soles of his boots were worn down, he'd walked a long way and looked better for it. Straightening up from her position Katherine let Logan walk over toward her in silence, he looked through her, something being spoken without words as he pulled several small sweet green beans from the poles they were climbing up. He ate in silence as his eyes took in the changes that had occurred while he was absent, the noise of children was all around and that made his eyes narrow a little. He chewed the green beans slowly as if savouring the taste of the soil they were grown in, only when he'd finished did Katherine risk touching him and even then only lightly. “I'll tell her your home,” Logan just nodded and went back into the forest, whatever he'd done had weighed on his soul. He needed time to heal, time to be himself again and as he walked away the buzz of the pollinating bees filled her ears, whispering to herself and their tiny ears. “Yes, go tell him, it won't be long now.” Katherine's eye turned to the upper floors, Marie would know soon enough but Logan needed her to keep quiet about his return. Warriors need to heal before they can come home to their loved ones, they need the space to come to terms with the death they have wrought. And as Katherine went to her work she could think of no one else who needed it more than Logan.
“What do you mean he's back?!” Marie was furious with Katherine, her eyes were flashing dangerously and her hands were itching to lose their coverings. She wanted to know why she'd been left waiting when he'd been here for nearly two weeks! Jubes was with her, as well as Kitty who was tucking into a ice-cream bucket. Katherine was being 'reasonable' and that meant there were things you didn't know or understand going on and that they were 'private'.
“Look, I've told you now haven't I? He needed the space Marie, he needed to remember what he was here 'for'. A man like him needs some time to get himself sorted out, you know that more than anyone else here, unless you've forgotten what New Years was like?” The admonishment was about a piece of party behaviour that had been total Logan, Marie had been on the booze all day and she'd slipped into 'Logan'. Even taking a cigar out onto the terrace to smell as it burned, she'd knocked out Bobby and given St John a black eye that had taken over a week to heal.
Marie blushed and was about to speak when Jubes interrupted her, “Look Chica, he's home. That's all you need to think about, the plans are made, the dress is ready, all we need is the date.”
“How about May Day?” This came from Kitty who was propping the now nearly empty bucket on her swelling stomach, being engaged hadn't stopped her and Pete getting on with planning a family. Jube's eyes went to the calendar, May Day was only four days away, Marie looked as if someone had just poured cold water down her skin.
“We wouldn't get a preacher that soon, or even a celebrant!” Marie was off in a world of weddings and old fashioned ways of getting hitched. As the conversation rose in pitch and Jubes went to calm Marie, Katherine winked at Kitty who was now getting up with the empty bucket to put in the trash. “Don't worry about a celebrant, I can get one who'll be here by the thirtieth. Old fashioned but it'll do for a woodland wedding.”
The words stopped all conversation, “In fact he's already been sent for, the rings have been made and he's bringing them with him. The only thing that does need doing is the small guest list and the tidying of the glade, even the foods been done.” Katherine looked at the stunned faces of the women around her and laughed, filling the air with it's rich comforting sound. When she'd finished laughing Katherine continued, “Did you honestly think it'd be all down to you? Logan is a resourceful man Marie, he wants to make this as perfect as you do. He's out in the forest because he wants his first night with you to be special and lets face it, if he was sleeping here in the mansion do you think any lock would keep him out?”
It was Jubes who answered the question with a huge leer on her face, “Fuck no!”
“Exactly! He wants this to be special, to have some worth for you both. A few days more won't hurt you Marie and if you'd known he was out there, you'd have gone looking for him and you'd have spoiled it for you both. You know you would've.”
Marie's skin was already red as she gave the thoughts free reign, oh boy would she have looked and she would've found him too. Camped out in his bed until he'd come back to it and made him take her, but that wouldn't have been honourable. It would have been cheap, sordid and trashy, led by lust not love, this way he was waiting for the right night, when they were joined properly. At least one part of her families heritage was being considered, Baptist weddings are strict, no sex before marriage. Plenty after but not before, she'd always wondered if that was why so many of her cousins had been pregnant so soon after getting married, well she'd find out soon enough.
“Now get yourselves outside and get tidying that grove, we need enough space for at least ten folk on chairs or standing. Plus flowers for the bouquet and buttonholes.” As Jubes pulled Marie away into the light of the garden, Kitty went to follow them but was held back by Katherine's hand on her arm. “No, not you. I need you to go to see Ororo. Ask her to give you the Moon Orchid she's been growing for me, she'll know which one I mean.” As Kitty waddled away Katherine watched the pair of young women wander into the woods, she knew that Marie would try to look for Logan. That's why she'd already sent him to fetch the Farrier, should take them a day or so to get back here. Smiling she rolled her sleeves up, that gave her just enough time to get the cake decorated and the mead decanted, all the while humming under her breath.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Logan has come home, but things have to be put into place before the wedding and we see how useful a friend like Katherine can be...
Chapter End Notes:
Let me know what you think, as always, feedback helps the words flow faster.