It was the next morning, as they were eating breakfast in the suite, before Ava reminded Logan about their conversation at lunch the day before.
Rogue was cleaning chocolate spread off James’ head after he finished his pancakes, how he had got chocolate on his right ear Logan would never know. The pair were laughing together as James begged 'mama' not to wash his fingers, he apparently hadn't finished licking them.
"Daddy, can I ask Rogue now?" Ava asked, shooting him puppy-dog eyes.
Before he could answer Rogue looked over, glancing between them confused. "Sure sweetie, you can ask me anything," she said, as she left James to finished licking his chocolate covered hands.
Ava looked to Logan for confirmation, he nodded to her to continue and she turned back to Rogue. "I - I want you to be my mama too," she said nervously.
Rogue froze, mouth open as she regarded the girl, she obviously hadn't expected that statement. She turned to Logan momentarily to gauge his opinion on the matter, he'd let her ask the question, and appeared to be as keen to hear her answer. "Oh my god," Marie whispered, as her face broke into one of her brilliant smiles, she shifted to open her arms to Ava as she replied, "I would love to be your mama."
Ava threw herself into Rogue's arms as she began giggling happily. James didn't seem to understand what was going on but people were hugging and he wanted in too, heedless of his chocolatey hands he was pulled into a group hug with his sister and mama.
Logan watched the scene unfold, things had come to a head now and he needed to decide if he was taking this to the next level or going to try to keep delaying. As he sat brooding, the kids kept celebrating, before Rogue sent them off to brush their teeth and get dressed.
"You okay?" Rogue asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Yeah, just - " he broke off, still not sure how to explain his thoughts to her.
"Let me guess, you're worried it's going to be too much for me, playing mom to two kids, and that I'll get burned out and run away?" Rogue said, continuing before he could answer, "You're worried you're taking advantage of my age, and my 'crush' on you, and that in the long run you're gonna hurt me? That I'm just agreeing because I was put on the spot? That I haven't considered that being mama means being 'stuck' with kids that aren't mine for the next eighteen years at least? ... Does that about cover it?" she asked, trying not to crack a grin as she listed his main concerns.
"How much did you get from me this last time?" Logan asked with a chuckle, he should have known she knew exactly what he was thinking.
"Enough," she replied with a smile, as she moved around the table to sit directly on his lap. "Logan, I love you to bits, have for a long time, it's kind of hard to have a crush on someone when you have all their bad habits inside your head and you know all their dirty secrets. Knowing someone as well as I know you, it goes one of two way, either you despise them, like I do Magneto, or you love them, like I do you. So, you aren't taking advantage of me or my feelings by returning them, but I'm happy to wait for you to figure that out, however long it takes.
"I know it's going to be hard, I don't know the first thing about being a mom, just like you don't know the first thing about being a dad, but we're doing a pretty good job so far, and if we keep backing each other up we can do this, both of us, I don't have to do this alone, and neither do you. I'm in this for as long as you want me around, to be honest I'd like that to be a long time. And it doesn't bother me that they aren't my kids like, biologically, doesn't make a difference at all, not saying I don't want to have my own kids one day but not yet, should get these ones settled first," she told him matter of factly.
"So, what you're saying is, you and me are already you and me, you're just waiting for me to catch up?" Logan replied, as he wrapped his arms around her.
"Pretty much," she confirmed.
"Well, in that case, consider me caught up," he said, placing a quick kiss on the end of her nose. "And that being the case, it's probably about time you finally officially moved in, I mean, you've slept more nights here than in your own room, so..."
"Oh no, no no no, you're not getting out of it that easy," Rogue replied, standing up again and moving to clear the table.
"Getting out of what so easy?" Logan asked confused.
"Just because I know it doesn't mean you don’t have to say it," Rogue informed him playfully.
Logan laughed, an uncommon sound that attracted the attention of both kids who came to see what was going on, he followed Rogue to the kitchen counter, waiting for her to set down the dishes she was carrying before he took her hands in his own. "Marie, I love you, more than I've ever loved anyone for as long as I can remember, I want you to share my life, share my home, share my children, I want you to be my friend, my partner ... my wife. Marie, will you marry me?" he asked, watching as her initial amusement morphed into shock and joy as he spoke.
It took a few moments before she nodded before croaking out a 'yes, oh yes' as she threw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around him as she cried tears of joy.
"Wha's happen?" James whispered to Ava.
Who replied at the top of her lungs, grinning widely, "Rogue's gonna be our mommy forever!" Jumping up and down excitedly before she ran to the two of them and joined in their embrace, James following hot on her heels.
"I was not expecting you to take it that far, really, I'd have just been happy with the 'I love you' and a 'do you wanna move in'," Rogue told him as she pulled away, not making any effort to move out of his arms but far enough back to be able to look him in the eye.
"But you still said yes so you can't back out now," he replied with a wink, he kissed the back of her hand before pressing it to her lips. "All right, we still have stuff to do today so who's ready to go?" he asked, sending the kids running for their rooms again before he turned back to Rogue. "I know you probably want to tell everyone right now but can we hold off on that for a while, would like to get this first can or worms dealt with before opening a second."
"You think it's going to be a problem?" Rogue asked, sounding surprised.
"I imagine everyone's going to want to put in their two cents, and there are going to be a few people who object but it won't be anything we can't deal with, just, tomorrow," Logan replied. He had a point, Rogue accepted, and she agreed they keep their news on the downlow, as best they could, she said she would talk to the kids about not saying anything too.
From there they set out their day, Logan had meetings with Xavier all morning dealing with the fallout of yesterday's fight, and then an errand to run after lunch. Rogue was going to take the kids on a forest walk this morning, but she hadn't made any plans for after James's afternoon nap. They all left for their respective activities together, splitting up halfway down the stairs when Logan stopped at the teacher’s floor.
--
Logan stopped by to check on Caleb on his way down to the Professor's office for the meeting, he appeared to be back to a hundred percent, even though he had slept in that morning, enjoying the extra time off classes. He was fixing himself a supersize breakfast, polishing off most of the food left in the suite’s fridge. He told Logan he wasn't aware of what had happened at the meeting the day before, he hadn't had a chance to talk with his mom before she left to teach her classes.
"Well, you're not in trouble, you'll probably get a warning but the CCTV showed they jumped you, it looks like, from all the kids testimonies that the whole thing was a set up by the fire kid, so we're meeting with him one on one this morning to work out a punishment -" Caleb interrupted him.
"He's not getting kicked out, is he? I mean I know it's serious stuff and he wasn't being nice but, well, I heard he came in off the street so, he wouldn't have anywhere else to go..." was his concerned comment.
"That all depends on him," Logan replied, "No one wants to turf him out, me included despite what happened, all I'm pushing for is genuine remorse and a legitimate apology. You okay with that?"
"Yeah, that sounds fair," Caleb replied, "It's not like he can undo what he did, just, it has to be genuine though, he can't do it again, what if he'd got someone else... Flora was so close, what if he'd got her..."
"He didn't. Don't dwell on the what if's, you probably don't want to hear this but you're going to deal with enough hardship and tragedy in what's likely to be a very long life, don't worry about things that don't need to be worried about, just deal with what's in front of you at any given time, that's all you have control over," Logan said, offering what may well have been his first personalized piece of advice to his son. Caleb offered a grim grin on response, nodding agreeably, before Logan continued. "I watched you fight, you have good technique and you go into a fight with the right attitude, you don't start them, you're not wanting to hurt anyone, just wanting to finish the fight on top, because of that, I want to teach you how to achieve that end. Me and you, one on one, pick a day and time that works for you around your classes, and I'll teach you how to end fights quickly without hurting your opponent, if you promise me, you will never start a fight," he offered.
Caleb grinned, "I'd like that, and I promise, I won't start any fights, would Tuesday's after dinner work?" he suggested.
"That sounds great, I'll find you at seven on Tuesday," Logan replied, offering the kid an only mildly awkward hug. It was definitely easier to be affectionate with the younger kids, with them being more likely to initiate contact, but he had to make an effort with Caleb too.
--
When Logan got down to the Professor's office, Scott and Johnny were already there.
"Thank you for joining us Logan," the Professor spoke as he entered.
Logan picking up the immediate spike in fear from the kid sat in front of the Professor's desk. Taking a seat next to the fire lighter Logan nodded for the Professor to begin, however as Charles opened his mouth to speak the kid interrupted.
"Wait, he can't be here to decide any punishment, he's gonna be biased..."
"Mr Logan is not here to determine a punishment, that will be entirely my prerogative, he is here in his capacity as a teacher who will be involved on overseeing any punishment I hand down, and as the father of the child you set on fire." Charles stated plainly and bluntly.
It immediately hit Logan how the boy didn't even look sorry when the Professor mentioned setting people on fire, he just looked annoyed that Logan was staying.
"We have collected testimony from all of those involved in, and who witnessed the fight and it's immediate lead up, we've also made inquiries into, and recovered video surveillance from the girls dormitory hallway, investigating an alleged incident from the night before, we have also reviewed the video footage of the fight itself," Charles stated, making it clear to the kid they knew exactly what had happened. "Why did you lie about seeing Caleb in the girl’s dormitory?"
"Because I knew it would get Rick and Andy on my side," the kid replied honestly.
"Why did you want to start a fight with Caleb?" the Professor asked next.
"... To send a message," the boy replied cryptically.
"What message were you wanting to send and to whom?" was the next question.
"People who think they're better than others and think that gives them the right to take what they want," he replied, still worryingly vague and cryptic.
"Could you elaborate please as I do not understand what, or who, you are alluding to," Charles tried again to get an answer out of the boy.
"They know who they are," was all the response he received.
Logan growled exasperatedly. "Apparently you made reference to Rogue, before threatening to rape a girl, why did you bring Rogue up?" he asked.
Johnny grinned him darkly. "What's it to you, old man?" he asked.
"Please answer the question," the Professor pressed, Logan's bluntness may just get some answers out of the boy.
"He thought he was so special having that little slut hanging off him, he thought he was untouchable, I just mentioned how me and Rogue had been close before someone stole her away, it was just a friendly warning that I guess he took the wrong way," Johnny replied mockingly.
"Maybe that had something to do with you threatening to rape his girlfriend to 'get over' a girl you never had a chance with," Logan stated, ignoring Scott's incredulous look.
"Rogue was more than happy to give any of a us a shot before you came along and fucked her up," the boy snapped angrily.
"How exactly did I 'fuck up' the girl I met before either of us even knew you existed?" Logan queried, trying not to sound amused.
"Whatever the fuck you did to her when you touched her, it changed her, she went from being normal, shy, and flirty, to being a bitch with a superiority complex," Johnny replied, while now openly glaring at him. Scott spoke up then, trying to draw John's attention away from Logan, he was thankful he had confiscated the boy’s lighters before this meeting had started.
"Rogue has never been a bitch, the worst her attitude got was when she was in the med lab for the first day after being rescued from near death, and even then she was still hugely apologetic every single time a rude comment slipped out, most of which were from Magneto's influence, not Logan's. She has never had a superiority complex either, even when she graduated well ahead if her peers, she displayed a high level of humility and maturity," Scott added. Logan couldn't help but hope the guy remembered that when he heard their news later.
"Is your defence of your actions that you were angry with Logan, because Rogue refused your romantic advances, and so you decided to set Caleb on fire, because he is Logan's son?" Charles asked, setting out the boys argument in its most simplistic manner. "Think very carefully before you answer that question," he cautioned.
Instead of taking a step back and realizing what an absurd argument it was, Johnny glared at Logan as he grit his teeth and replied, "Yes."
"So, you intentionally started the fire and directed it at Caleb?" The Professor continued.
"Yes," Johnny replied, "And before you ask, I heard he's fine already, I wish I'd made it hotter," he sneered at Logan.
Logan's growl could be heard ominously echoing around the room before he tore his furious gaze away from the boy. "He can't stay," Logan set out, if he did, it would not only put Caleb in danger but Ava, James, and Rogue, probably Flora and Sarah as well.
The Professor nodded worriedly. "I will contact Moira immediately and see if she has a place for Mr Alerdyce. Scott please could you escort him to his room and oversee him packing his belongings immediately."
"You can't just pack me off!" John objected.
"Mr Alerdyce, you have just confessed to intentionally setting a fellow student on fire, and made what amounts to a threat of further physical harm, for the safety of the students and faculty involved I cannot allow you to remain in residence. I do not wish to see you end up back on the streets, or incarcerated, I am willing to make all efforts to secure you a place in a similar establishment where you can complete your education without the distraction of this event. Do you wish for me to do so or do you have alternative accommodations?" The Professor set out bluntly.
For a moment the boy just stood in place staring at the Professor, as reality began to sink in. Eventually he nodded, mutely, before turning and following Scott out of the room. Logan stood to leave but Charles telepathically instructed him to stay. Once the door was closed and Logan had retaken his seat Charles explained, "I'm going to need your help encouraging Moira to give him a second chance."