ClawedCanuck: Fine, fur ball, we’ll go out to the Boat House tonight…
HankLabRat: My family and I thank you, old man.
Hank had given him the too much information warning because Logan not making it to breakfast meant one of two things; either he was having Marie overnight in his room or nightmares. And because once Jean and Scott had passed on, Hank took their room. Then Ororo moved in, they got married, and little Charles McCoy moved in. So any sounds coming from Logan’s room were right next door…
San Diego International Airport
San Diego, CA.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
5:00 A.M.
Lara saw Frank yawn as he handed over her luggage to Ivan, the Wyle’s hired crewman on their private jet. She waited for Frank by the plane’s open door, hugged him when he returned.
“Have a safe flight and I’ll be here to pick you up when you get back.”
“I will and I’ll call once I get settled.”
She leaned forward and kissed Frank good-bye before she went up the steps into the plane. She waved from her favorite seat by the window and soon the plane was in the air. Lara received a pillow from Ivan and she went back to sleep.
Missoula International Airport
Missoula, MT.
12:00 P.M.
Lara arrived at the airport and a rented Jeep Cherokee, with snow chains, was waiting for her by the hangar. Ivan put her luggage in the back and gave her the keys. She hit the road headed for the Triple R Ranch near Tooley Lake, where she usually rented three horses every time she came to visit her cabin. The cabin itself was inaccessible by car. She chose to build her home there that way to make it more difficult to find her if anyone should try to come looking for her, because the rocky roads were hell on the undercarriages of any type of vehicle. It was the kind of rocky road that you had to drive three miles per hour or rocks would fly up and damage vital parts, a horse could navigate it easier. The horses also gave her a sense of going back in time, reminding her of her history. About an hour in, she stopped for lunch and supplies, before she called Frank to let her know that she had made it on the ground. He reminded her to be careful driving in the snow. She finished her bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich with mayo on toasted rye bread before killing the last of her fries. Then she paid the bill and hit the road again to drive the three hours she had left to get to the ranch.
Triple R Ranch
Near Tooley Lake, MT.
4:00 P.M.
Triple R Ranch was a several generation family ranch. Brothers Robert, Randy, and Richard ‘Rick’ Rhodes ran the ranch now. Robert the oldest in his early forties, Randy the youngest still not yet eighteen, and Rick in his early thirties, all around referee in the middle. Lara pulled into the drive near the stables and got out, thankful she’d put on her heavy coat on her way in to lunch. She pulled out her wallet and turned to head to where she thought she could catch someone’s attention. Suddenly, Rick appeared from the barn headed for the main house when he caught sight of her.
“Howdy, can I help you?”
“I called ahead and made a reservation to pick up three horses today. I’m sorry I’m so late.”
“Um, no problem. Come on into the barn and I’ll get you set up.”
Lara could see that he was staring at her a bit like he knew her but, he didn’t voice his query. She had decided at lunch to use cash to pay for this trip so that no one would recognize her. She hadn’t gone as far as disguising her voice… Yet. She watched as Rick pulled out Midnite, Beau, and Geyser out of their stalls and saddle up each one. Midnite, a mare, was named so because of her raven black coat, mane, with the attitude of a twenty-five year old lady. Beau, a stallion, was Georgia clay colored, dark brown mane, and aptly named because you could just fall in love with him, like you would a beau. He’s a sweetheart and very affectionate. You could say he would be about as young looking as Logan, if he were a human. Geyser, a pure white stallion with the attitude of Chris Rock, if he were a horse. He is also aptly named because he pees anytime he wants, anywhere he wants, like the Old Faithful Geyser. He could be in the middle of riding on a trail; he’ll suddenly stop, take a piss, and then go on as if nothing happened. All three were quarter horses. She signed the paperwork and handed over the cash needed. So, with her trio of horses rented, she loaded Beau and Geyser with supplies.
“Here are the keys to my rental. I will be back on Wednesday to pick it up, is that all right?”
“Yeah, sure. I’ll have Randy move it in here to keep it out of the snow.”
“Thanks.”
Once she mounted Midnite, Rick handed the reins to Beau and Geyser to her. She rode for two hours into the forest of trees, towards her cabin.
Lara Wyle’s Cabin
Between Tooley Lake and Kootenai National Forest
6:00 P.M.
Lily Hart arrived at the cabin from New Orleans the day before Lara was due to arrive. Right away, she was filled with happy memories. She pulled off the covers off of some of the important furniture, grabbed the broom, and set about cleaning up the cabin. She’d been worried about Lara ever since she’d sent her an email that she’d found James Logan Howlett and she hadn’t gone into much detail. She felt something was wrong with Lara. She felt extreme joy one minute and the next she felt a deep sadness. When Lara called her after Logan accepted Marie’s proposal, she told her to meet her at the cabin as soon as she possibly could get there. As she flew to Montana, the more she felt that she needed to go there. She had hiked in with snow shoes and a few supplies. She couldn’t stay for long because she needed to get back to her restaurant in New Orleans.
She’d made some soup and bread for dinner and put it into the pot-bellied stove to keep it warm. She felt that Lara was near. She poured some coffee into a couple mugs and sat down to wait at the table with a magazine she bought before her flight. When Lara finally arrived, Lily stood and came right out of the cabin, not exuberantly excited but, reserved and with a smile. Lara dismounted, tied the reins on the porch rail before she came up the steps, and gave her a huge bone bruising kind of hug.
“It’s so good to see you,” Lara said. “I have much to catch you up on.”
“Good ta see ya too, Sis. How ya been sugah?”
“I’ve had the most interesting adventure since I told you I found James.”
“James, ya found James? Ah’ve got tha coffee insahd.”
“Go on inside, I’ll get my supplies, and bed the horses.”
“Lemme help. It’ll go fastah.”
So, Lily followed her sister out to the small barn with the trio of horses. Lara put them in the stalls, took off the saddles and bridles off, before Lily began to brush them down. They didn’t speak a word to each other as they followed an unspoken routine. Then when Lily finished, Lara brought them each a horse blanket to keep them warm, food, and water. With Lara’s supplies, the two sisters walked back to the cabin.
“So, start talkin’ sugah, ah’m all ears,” Lily said as she sat on the couch in front of the fireplace ablaze with heat.
“I was contacted by Anna Marie Caldicott, who happens to now be his fiancée,” Lara said as she sat on the couch after retrieving her coffee mug.
“Really? What’s she lahk?”
“She talks like you but, she’s from Mississippi. She’s a wonderful young thing. I wish I could have met him a long time ago. So much time has passed.”
“What’s he look lahk?”
“He’s tall, muscular, fit. His hair is styled weird but, he has sideburns from the old ways.”
“What’s she…”
“Her crown fits right under his chin, and I guess you could say she bleeds southern girl upbringing. She’s fit as well. You know, curvy in all the right places.”
“Sounds lahk a perfect pair.”
“Oh they are sister mine, they are. They both are like us. She has skin that can absorb our gifts and kill with a touch. It’s under control now. He has advanced healing among other things…”
“Tell meh moah.”
“She ran away from home after accidentally putting a boy in a coma and found James on the road in Canada. They were rescued from someone named Sabertooth. They were rescued and ended up at a school in New York for people with gifts like ours. It’s called Xavier’s School for Gifted Students.”
“Really? Ah’ve heard ‘bout him from someone ah know… Um… A southern gent named Remy. Remy Le Beau. He runs a club next dough-ah.”
“You’re kiddin’ right? Oh my… Maybe it really is a small world after all?”
“Nah, he’s right next dough-ah. What’s wrong?”
“Remy Le Beau happens to be the husband of Marie’s best friend, Jubilee.”
“You’re shittin’ meh, really?”
“Yes, I met him in California. Anyway, I also met Charles Xavier.”
“Didn’t he dah a while back?”
“Yes but, that’s another story for another time. So, they were at the school. James accidentally stabbed Marie and she absorbed his gift to save herself. She ran away because of a misunderstanding. James rescued her from someone like us that could manipulate metal. She was near dead; he brought her back to life, and nearly died in the process. Anyway, to make a long story shorter, they danced around each other for a long time, dating and such, neither one wanting to take a risk jeopardizing their friendship, and taking it to the next level. Then on Christmas, Marie took things into her own hands and they slept together. Then later Christmas day, she jumped several steps ahead and proposed.”
“Wow, ya’re raht, this Marie sounds interestin’. Go on.”
“Well, he accepted and they just went back to New York yesterday. He’s planning to do it right and propose to her sometime soon we all hope.”
“Ah’d lahk ta meet James someday.”
“You should. I haven’t asked him yet but, if anything happens to me, I want him to protect you, look in on you. I won’t ask him to take care of you because I know you can handle your own messes but, I want him to check in on you ever once in a while, or give you help when you need it.”
“Lara… Nothin’s gonna happen ta ya,” Lily tried to assure her sister.
“Just hear me out. It will give me peace of mind and I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future.”
“Ah heah ya but, ah am mah own woman. Ah haven’t survahved one hundred and sixty-four yeahs without learnin’ a few things.”
“I know, and I’ll make sure he knows that. I’ve also come to another decision. I’m not hiding under make-up anymore.”
“Good fer you, sugah.”
“James hasn’t seen me like this. Oh and by the way, he goes by Logan now. There’s more to the story.”
“Ah see, please go on while ah get us refills,” Lily said as she stood to head to the pot-bellied stove.
“Apparently, Logan can’t remember his past. He has amnesia about his history. Marie has been able to piece together what she could of the memories she absorbed from him, and that’s how she found me in California.”
“How sad…”
“Yeah, that’s not the worst. The U.S. or jointly with the Canadian government enhanced his bones with an indestructible metal called adamantium in hopes to turn him into an ultimate weapon. He has six claws about eighteen inches, I think. I haven’t seen them.”
“Oh mah gawd,” Lily said as she sat back down before handing Lara her refilled coffee mug.
“Yeah, he’s indestructible and with his advanced healing, he’s unstoppable. That’s why he’s trying to stay where he can’t be captured again. Now that he’s at Xavier’s School, the place is built like a fortress. Although, it wasn’t that way a while back. The school was attacked and Logan overhauled the security system there.”
“Ah can see wah you want him ta look aftah meh.”
“Logan is a part of a team called the X-Men and they’ve taken deep hits in the past few years. I put my name in for consideration,” Lara thought she might as well get her thoughts out on the table.
“Weren’t they tha ones that saved San Francisco?”
“Yeah.”
“Wah do ya wanna put yourself at risk like that? That’s lahk standin’ in front of ah freight train in the middle of tha naht.”
“I want to help make the world a better place for us, put my gifts to use.”
“No, Lara. Ah don’t think it’s a good ahdea. Ah can feel yer fear and doubt. If ya were sure, ah’d consider it.”
“I would like for you to meet Frank. Would you come home with me,” Lara asked, trying to change the subject.
“Ah know what yer doin’. You can’t avoid meh for long. Anyway, ah cain’t, Sis, ah’m workin’. Ah’ve got a caterin’ job for a New Year’s Eve Party at mah restaurant.”
“Well, as soon as you’re able then?”
“Yeah, sure, sugah. Ya nevah know when ah maht show up on yer dough-ah step. Probably, sometime aftah tha first. As fer now, ah’ll narrow it down to the first week of January or July. Ah left mah planner at home in mah rush up heah.”
“Just let me know and I’ll get the guest bedroom ready.”
“All raht. How do ya want meh ta meet James… Err… Logan?”
“I haven’t told anyone you exist. Frank doesn’t even know.”
“Ah know, an ah thank ya for keepin’ it that way but, now that ah have a chance ta meet moah family, ah’m jumpin’ at it.”
“When would you want to meet him and Marie? I could send them to New Orleans, you could go to New York, or everyone could come here. Maybe even to my home in California?”
“Ah don’t know. Ah don’t wanna go ta New York alone. You’d have ta come with meh. Ah don’t wanna have them come south. Ah don’t feel comfortable with havin’ them come here yet. We’ll go ta yer house.”
“Fine, I’ll make the arrangements when you say you’re ready to come out to San Diego.”
“Ah’ll get back ta ya when ah know mah set plans. Speakin’-ah Remy Le Beau, ah wondah wah he nevah mentioned Logan? He mentioned, da cher, Marie.”
“I don’t know, maybe they were an item once?”
“Well, in tha tahm ah’ve known Remy Le Beau, he’s a flirt and a playah so, ah wouldn’t be supprahzed if he was taken with tha filly.”
“Jubilee Le Beau better watch out if he’s such a cad.”
“Ah’ll have ta keep mah ah open fer her, ta keep him in lahn.”
“Somehow, I think Jubilee can handle him. I’ve met his wife. Besides, he’s got a family now. He should be quite the reformed player.”
“So, you ready ta eat? Ah have dinner reheated on tha stove.”
“Starving. I want to go to bed early tonight and we’ll go out for a walk tomorrow.”
“Sounds fahn ta meh. We’ll share tha bed upstayahs.”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Well now has come to say good-bye to all our company...
This is the last chapter of Santa Baby.
I hope you enjoy reading it! The sequel is next!
This is the last chapter of Santa Baby.
I hope you enjoy reading it! The sequel is next!
Chapter End Notes:
How'd I do my lovelies? Did I put enough twist in that lemonade for ya? Please let me know below. Thanks for your reviews! I feel like I'm at a feast when my muses and I read them! And when we all get fed, more story pops out!