This isn't boiling rage, mah feelings aren't bubbling, roiling or simmering through me. This is far beyond that. I am effervescent, incandescent with anger. I'm surprised I ain't got sparks comin' off the ends of mah hair.

"Logan! Ah can't believe what Ah'm hearin'."

"I know darlin', it ain't fair Magneto an' all comin' along now and I know we only just met but darlin', I gotta keep you safe an' New York's gonna be safest right now."

"Logan, you shut your mouth right now! Where the h-e-l-l do you get off tellin' me you're gonna ship me off to some 'friends' of yours like a lost little dog or some parcel you picked up some place?"

"Ah am a grown woman an' let me tell you Ah spent 19 years gettin' by perfectly well without the big bad-ass Logan ridin' to mah rescue."

"Ah even got from deepest Mississippi all the way up to Canada all on mah own."

"Look Marie, it ain't safe, it's different now, it's my job to protect you. I gotta get you safe then hunt down those fu... y'know Mystique an' Magneto."

"Logan, you are not goin'" "Marie!"

He's growlin' now, the words are comin' out all snarled up.

"Marie, you jus' don't understand, I know it seems like an adventure to you darling' and I know you wanna stick with me but some things....you're jus' too young to understand. I gotta to this, for our sake"

Too young? Too young? The nerve, is that what he thinks of me? Well, I'll show him.

Ah'm jus' gonna sit here tight and let him stew. Ah ain't speaking to his sorry self, listening to him justify why he wantsta ship me of across the country to his fancy babysitters.

******

Ah guess some people are just born waiting to be killed.

We walked into that bar, it looked burned out nearly from the outside, but the lights were on and there sure were people inside of it.

Ah could tell Logan was still antsy from our fight and still itchin' to talk. It was heart battling pride there, that was plain to see but Ah wasn't going to back down. Ah think from how he was that he was regretting what he said to me but Ah just don't care.

So both smartin', we walked on inta the club and Logan just got more an more het up from the moment we entered.

I don't know if anyone else would notice he was so tightly wound, he sauntered up to the bar an greeted the bar tender, casual. Got me situated on a stool at the bar. Helpin' me up which was nice. He is a good man, even if he does put those big feet in his mouth from time to time.

He was shootin the breeze with the bar tender, sippin on the beer he'd ordered, trying to keep the conversation to a minimum, Ah could tell, an still get in as a late contender in the fight.

Ah was sippin' on mah whiskey. When Ah tried to order a simple beer, he shot me a look like Ah should be havin' a glass o' warm milk an maybe some animal crackers alongside.

Ah'm sure Ah bridled so much, it must have been visable clear across that crowded, smokey room.

If he thinks Ah'm so darn young, what's he doing checkin' out mah ass every time Ah have to walk to the bathroom? An all those not-so-covert glances at mah girls? An if the man 'adjusts' himself much more Ah'm gonna have to ask him if he wants me to step out for a minute so he can have some alone time. Honestly.

We're sittin' at the bar, waiting for the fights an along comes some low woman. She's got a dress cut up to her panties and the bodice cut down to near her nipples. She coulda had a sign round her neck but that dress said it all. As did her brassy hair an' streaky fake tan, ugh.

She slides on up, wobbling in her cheap 6 inch heels, an lookin' at Logan like ain't wearing a stitch.

She leaned on the bar an' gave him an even better view, running her fake nails up his arm and tryin' out a pathetic excuse for a sex kitten purr.

Ah am a Christian woman an' Ah will be patient with a lot of things. But lookin' at mah man like he's something on a plate served up with parsley and potatoes? Oh no.

"Excuse me ma'am"

Oh yes, it ain't just manners, she's sure as sugar old enough to be ma'am.

"Ah think you need to turn yourself around, we are having a private conversation here, thank you very much."

She looked at me like a puppy had bitten her.

"Oh baby, me and your Daddy here, we just got a lot to talk about. Why don't you run along huh?"

Oh no, oh no, what is it with these people? Ah am 19 years old and not a baby, Ah'm certainly not her baby.

Huh, she's got Logan riled now too.

"Listen doll, I'm not interested alright? I know we maybe fooled around before and I know you're into the cage an all but I'm here with this one tonight, got it?"

"Oh honey, she's just a girl, she don't know what you like. You want an experienced woman, like me. Why she's just a virgin, you won't be able to go properly, it'll be all tears and 'hold me' and never getting off..."

Well, like I say, with some people it's a natural result of their stupidity, an this one, she was gonna get herself killed pretty quick by the looks of things.

"You shut that ugly mouth!"

She should have known better than to push him. Ah myself don't know what to do with a nasty piece like her. Ah am sitting right here, how can she just ignore me so?

"I'm sorry, I know it must be hard for you when you haven't been neutered yet but you must try and keep it under control, get a leash or something because you are not just embarrassing yourself, you are embarrassing all of us too. He'd never look at you anyway."

**********
God - Marie, just then. I know that woman was hangin' offa me, practically grinding up against me right here at the bar, and the smell offa her, Jesus.

Still, somehow I like that she gets all territorial of me, feels good somehow, it fits. I'm so angry now though, do up I gotta get in the cage soon, work some of this off, get the money, get Marie safe. Yeah, that's the plan.

An now dammit, on toppa all these assholes checkin' out Marie (I know they think i cant see them lookin' sideways at her, droolin' into their beers but I can smell and see and wanna gut every last one of them). On toppa all that, now I got an uppity Marie wanting to earn money with a performance.

Hell, don't she understand, they don't want her kinda performance here. The only kind these assholes are interested in is under her dress dancing. Look at them all panting after her...

Shit, that's the click of a gun being cocked, Marie! Right, turn round, slowly.

"Oh sugar, Ah ain't scared of that little pistol."

Great, just great. Oh God, give us a break, while I been busy eyeballin' all the bastards wantin' in Marie's panties, Bleach Blonde who Marie insulted has come back an she's brought back up in the form of a gun levelled at Marie's head.

Marie of course, bein' a crazy woman I love, is not scared. No, my little bad ass is bendin' down - God dammit baby - an drawin' up her skirt.

All eyes in the bar are on us now an some joker shouting,

"What's she hiding under there? A Kalashnikov?"

Fucker, but I can't move - need to concentrate on Marie.

Damn me, as she pulls up those skirts every man in the joint swallows and shifts in his seat. That's how hot this is. I'm just grateful to be seeing it and so angry that it's not for me alone.

She didn't even realise she was getting' off so many men at once, it could have been a record.

She bent from her waist, drew up her skirts, layers and layers of lace and satin pulled back to reveal legs that went on forever and made you thank God you were alive to see them.

She's a work of art.

Right up, past the tops of her stockings and oh fuck, a creamy suspender belt and she's got a little hunting knife tucked into her garter.

Now what do you suppose she's planning to do with that? There ain't much you can...

Well, I suppose you can do that. That girl's got balls and no mistaking it.

She threw the knife right at Blondie and pinned her big ass hair-do to the wall of the bar. Blonde is waling an dropped her little pistol.

Marie...I suppose what should I expect from a woman who was holding a man twice her size up against the bar the first night I met her. Damn good woman.

She must have been something at cotillion I'll tell ya that.

I'm gonna take her arm, back us outta her slowly then run like hell. No money now but gettin' my girl away from a bunch of riled up locals is the next step.

*******

Ah appreciate that Logan protects me, an he seems to like that Ah got a little territorial myself with that woman sniffin' round him.

He's twitchy now,

"I dunno how to say it ok? But this is something."

"It was giving you a ride then all the attacks and shit an now, Marie I'm thinking of you as mine ok? I mean, uh, I like you an uh. I wanna stick together. I know you deserve better an got better options but shit, it's like life's thrown us together an I want to protect you, I wamt you to know, ok?"

Oh God, did he say that? Oh God. Logan...Ah'm breathless.

"Logan, Ah can handle myself but Ah ain't lookin elsewhere."

"Ah liked you from the beginning, and Ah will till whatever ends me. Ah know it might sound morbid but it's what Ah can give. Ah think together we got a good shot of making it work too."

"Ah like you so much even when you're bein a pigheaded fool, or trying' to fuss me about shipping me off to some place in New York City. That Ah still ain't going to."

"But you shouldn't have to handle yourself, I wanna make us a home Marie, darlin', I want us to be safe together, a team, a home."

"Darlin', it's tearing' my heart up but I can't be selfish. I can't keep you where its dangerous, you should, you need to go away for now..."

"I can't keep you with me just because I want to, you deserves better."

Here comes the angst again. This man!

"Ah could say mah skin it too dangerous but you don't see me puttin' obstacles in our way, we will work it out and Ah ain't leavin."

He's pullin the truck over now, stopping to turn to me.

"I'm tryin to let you be independent darlin, trying to give you some space to choose."

"I gotta to after Mystique, gotta find a way to take out Mags cos they're never gonna give up on you baby, you need to know that."

"Ah don't want you to go."

"Look, darlin,"

He's pullin me towards him, it's all blurry with my tears now but Ah'm tucked into his chest, half pulled on his lap. Listening to his voice rumbling, his scent, his heartbeat. He's taking big breaths too, this is hard on him too.

He's shifting me up an pullin at his collar...

"Darlin', here, I'm givin' you my tags, so you know you're mine and the rest of em know too ok. You'll always have this of me to hold onto, and I'm comin back for em."