Around eight the next morning Logan woke as the truck pulled into a depot. The driver instructed him to stay in the cab and went to sign in for unloading. As forklifts hummed around the truck, removing some of the load, and rebalancing the rest. Logan tried to tamp down on the restless feeling that flowed through him, He was so much closer to Marie, but still a good hour away.
When the driver returned, he had two bags of greasy, truck stop breakfast, which the two men scarfed down, while waiting for the all clear to pull out of the depot. It wasn't long before they left Malone behind and turned east. As they approached the town, he was heading for Logan secured his pack, ready to go the minute the driver stopped.
When the truck pulled to a stop in town Logan paused to shake the driver’s hand, he didn't have any cash so all he could offer the guy was his thanks. "Not a problem buddy, you just go find her, you keep taking care of both of them," the driver replied, as Logan climbed out of the cab.
"Will do," Logan assured him, offering a wave as the truck pulled away again, getting caught in school time traffic as he continued on his way.
Hoisting his pack again Logan discretely scented the area, it was about nine so Marie would probably be getting, or recently have gotten herself breakfast. A diner would be the best place to catch a scent that would lead him back to wherever she was staying. Unfortunately, it didn't look like this town had one.
He headed toward a corner store that was close by, scanning through the front window. Marie had been here but not for long and she wasn't here anymore, testing the air for a scent trail he spotted a couple of motels about a hundred meters down the road. Hopefully she was in one of those.
Scanning the row of units as he wandered down, trying to look like he was meant to be there, he picked up Marie's scent, strongly, from one door. He knocked on the door, stepping back so Marie could see him clearly from whichever point she used to check to see who was outside. A shadow passed near the corner of the curtain, before the door was hurriedly unlocked, several bolts and a chain being unfastened before the door flew open and Marie launched herself into his arms.
"Oh God Logan, I've been so worried, are you okay?" she demanded, running her hands over him as if to make certain he was really standing in front of her. Before he got a chance to reply, she grabbed him and dragged him inside, gently shutting the door behind him.
Marie's breakfast was on the small table in the corner, and Niamh was fast asleep in her little bassinet on top of the dresser. Logan moved over to her, running a finger over her tiny chubby cheek, as Marie came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. He hung his head as relief swept over him - he had found them, they were safe.
Pulling Marie around into his arms he collapsed onto the bed as his legs finally gave way, he hugged her tightly as she cried onto his shoulder. He had never cried personally, as far as he could remember, but even he was damn close, emotion so thick he was almost choking on it left him speechless for several minutes.
"How did you get away?" Marie eventually asked quietly. She still hadn't released her hold him, sitting on his lap, arms around him, face buried in his shirt.
"Had to wait until my legs worked again, they mustn't have been able to, or bothered to, move me out of the bathroom. They were doing a watch detail, overnight, watcher got distracted and I got the jump on them. Got out of there as fast as I could," he replied, not making any move to release her as he stood and carried her back to the table and her breakfast.
"Come on, you need to eat up, and then get some sleep, we'll head out tonight, after midnight, it's about eight miles to the border from here and we're going to have to hike it bush style, we'll be lucky to make the border in three hours so I need you well rested," he told her as her began to feed her.
"You need it more than I do Logan," Marie tried to object as she tried to redirect the food to him.
"I'll get my own later," Logan argued, pushing back. Marie gave in with a sigh and a smile, and got back to eating. When Niamh began to grizzle, she moved off Logan's lap, so he could go and see to her while she ate. Her smile got brighter as she watched Logan fawn over his daughter.
He was satisfied Marie was eating, so he lay down on the bed instead of returning to the table, laying Niamh down in front of him so he could talk to her. He hadn't really had a chance yet to do more than watch her sleep or eat, so it was a good change to talk to her as she watched him, before she yawned sleepily and reached for him. He moved closer to her until her tiny fingers scratched at his beard, before long she lost interest, and began to suck on her tiny clenched fists.
Marie moved over when she finished eating and lay down beside them, just watching daddy bond with his little girl. She couldn't help but think how lucky she was, despite the circumstances they currently found themselves in. Logan was not only hot, and an insanely talented lover, but he was also shaping up to be a fantastic dad.
"Hey mommy, come here," Logan said to her with a grin as he sat up, tugging her in to sit between his legs so she could feed the hungry infant while he held them both. He spent the next twenty minutes stroking Niamh's hair or hand -until she grabbed hold of his finger- and pressing soft kisses against Marie's neck and shoulder.
Once baby was fed, Logan burped her before wrapping her up, how Marie had showed him, and rocked her to sleep, before setting her down in the bassinet. He suggested to Marie that they go to sleep now too but she refused until he had finally had something substantial to eat. They argued about who would go get food, Logan didn't want Marie to go alone but he also didn't want to leave her behind alone.
Niamh grizzled, leading Marie to finally whisper as she glared at him, "For God's sake will you go already, we just hitchhiked 300 miles alone, we'll be fine locked in this room for half an hour." She was gently rocking the bassinet to settle baby again as he snuck out of the room, suitably chastised.
That girl could be scary when she was pissed, he thought to himself with a chuckle.
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
Barely Legal Since 2000