"Mommy's here! Mommy's here!" Emily announced loudly, running down the stairs, ignoring Logan when he reminded her she wasn't supposed to run in the house.
The party wasn't due to start for another hour, he and Jubilee, with direction from Emily, were finishing the last of the decorating, he hadn't been expecting Marie yet. Clearly Jubilee wasn't either judging by the look she threw at him.
"... and the balloons are pink and purple, and the streamers are green, Aunty Jubi wanted yellow but I like the green, so daddy said I could have the green, and then Aunty Jubi stuck her tongue out at him..." Emily was chattering away a mile a minute, as she literally dragged Marie into the room by the death grip she had on her hand, as if she was afraid if she let go Marie would disappear.
"Hey Logan, hi Jubes," Marie said tentatively, as she stepped into the room.
Logan called out a generic greeting, from where he stood on a ladder hanging streamers, Jubilee however came right up to her and hugged her, obviously not missing the prominent baby bump under her shirt.
"Hey chica, I've missed you, I'm sorry I yelled at you last time I saw you," Jubilee said, leading Marie into the kitchen to help her with food prep, not specifically to keep her away from Logan. He had obviously been struggling with the idea of Marie being there, not that he would say anything though. He wanted Emily's day to be special for her but Jubilee knew he wanted to simultaneously chew Marie out for leaving him, and beg her to stay - so now wasn't the best time for them to be alone together.
"It's okay, you we're right, probably should have yelled some more but... can we not talk about that now, this is Emmy's day, I want it to be perfect for her," Marie replied with a sad smile, attracting another Jubilee hug just as Emily ran into the room again.
Handing Emily the present she had brought with her, Marie instructed her to go put it on the table where the other presents would go, watching Emily's eyes light up with delight when saw the huge box before she ran off with a giggle.
Marie and Jubilee spent the next wee while putting together platefuls of party food. They chatted happily, mostly about the mansion, Jubilee's poor long-suffering students, and recent X-Men missions as they worked, gently easing back into the comfortable friendship they had always shared.
"Logan's not with the X-Men anymore?" Marie asked in surprise, when Jubilee let slip that fact.
"Oh, no, he's not, didn't you know? He quit when you- ... he had Emily, full time, he didn't want to leave her to go on missions, so, he quit," Jubilee replied.
"Oh..." Marie murmured, tearing up as she thought of yet another sacrifice Logan had made for their family, for Emily, and even in a roundabout way, for her. Yet another detail she had completely overlooked. She had never even considered what might have happened to Emily if Logan had gone a mission or, god forbid, hadn't come back from one.
--
Logan sat down on the sofa, watching in amusement as Emily inspected his streamer and balloon hanging work. He was surprised when a cold bottle of beer slid over his shoulder. Following the arm holding it out, he found himself looking up at Marie.
"Go on, the kids and parents will be here soon, you deserve a break, you've done good work daddy bear," Marie teased, it had been a long time since she had felt as comfortable as she did right now, and she missed the closeness they had once shared.
"Thanks," Logan gruffly replied, only sounding just the slightest apprehensive, he was guarded and wary as she walked around the couch and took a seat next to him.
"I'm serious Logan," Marie said resolutely a moment later, "You've done a great job, not just with this party but with everything in general, I’m sorry about... I'm sorry, for leaving you to do this all alone, you were right, I was selfish, I don't know what I was thinking, I don't know how I walked away, I regret that but I'm going to try to do better, I'm in a lot better place now, I'm sorry it took me so long to get here, and you even did that too, I was self-destructing and you pulled me back from the edge, you saved me from myself, I'm still not a hundred percent but I'm determined now, I need to fix this, and I will, one step at a time, I hope one day you can forgive me," she murmured softly, giving him a smile before she stood and walked back out of the room, leaving him to digest her words.
--
Emily's birthday party passed in a blur of activity, fast moving, sugar-hyped children, bright wrapping paper, and lots of noise as young children were apt to make on such fun occasions. Marie wasn't surprised to see many of their family friends from Xavier's in attendance, though thankfully all avoided awkward questions about what had happened, and why she hadn't been in contact with anyone the last few months. Thankfully no one drew attention to her pregnant belly, aside from a few of Emily's school friends’ moms who offered generic congratulations.
Once the majority of the sugar-hyped children were seen off at the end of the party, the gathering became a more intimate, almost family-like affair, once it was only her, Logan, and those from Xavier's, who really were the closest thing to extended family either of them had. That of course was when the awkward questions started, after Emily, Oliver, and Nicholas - Scott and Jean's two boys - had been sent off to play upstairs in Emily's room.
"How have you been?" Jean asked gently, noting Logan's attention on the conversation, even as he and Ororo were working together to prepare dinner for the group.
"Honestly... not good," Marie replied, with an attempt at a smile, "But I'll get there, I just... I know it's not ideal, and feel free to say no but, I need to get away from where I am now, and I need to be near a mutant-friendly doctor, for the baby, would there be a place at the mansion for me, even if just until the baby is born?" Marie asked, glancing between Scott and Jean, they had the most sway over the running of the mansion after all; Jubilee was sitting beside her with a broad grin, nodding madly at the pair.
"Of course, though I'm sure Logan and Emily would love for you to be home..." Jean began, trailing off when she caught Marie's grimace as she glanced briefly toward Logan, who had tensed as soon as the words left her mouth.
"We're not ready for that," Marie replied diplomatically, refusing to give in to the urge to cry even as she felt the hot tears pricking at her eyes.
"That's alright, how far along is baby, do you know when he's due?" Jean asked, quickly changing the subject, and noting Logan immediately cease listening to the conversation. She wasn't the only one who noticed, if the pained look on Marie's face was anything to go by.
"I'm thirty-four weeks, he's due middle of July," Marie replied.
"Don't take this the wrong way but... you're kind of on the small side for that far along," Jean commented, "Have you been seeing a doctor?"
Marie sighed, and tried not to look guilty as she replied, "Not since the twenty-week scan, that's the only time I've seen a doctor."
Jean in response tried not to look disappointed, simply responding decisively, "No problem, we can get you a full check-up as soon as we get you settled at home."
Marie managed to deflect further questioning from herself, and over dinner the group conversed amicably, even Logan joined in the conversation. Several hours later, after Emily had fallen asleep in Marie's lap, hugging her new dolly, the guests slowly began to depart.
"Hey girl, you need a ride back to your place?" Jubilee offered, noting the time, and the fact Marie looked exhausted.
"No, I'll be fine," Marie replied, surprised when she was interrupted by Logan.
"You're exhausted Marie, you're either taking a ride home with Jubilee, and I'll drop your car back to you after I drop Emily to kindergarten tomorrow, or you're staying here for the night," he stated matter of factly.
Marie considered his comment for a moment, knowing there was no point in arguing with him, at the same time she really would prefer to stay but she wasn't sure if he meant it.
"It's up to you Marie, spare bedroom is set up, I'm sure Emily would love to see you for breakfast," Logan clarified, seeing her hesitation, and Jubilee's smothered grin.
"I- I'll stay," she eventually decided. Logan just nodded, before offering to carry Emily to her room for her if she wanted to tuck her into bed, an act Marie gratefully accepted.
"Thank you, Logan," she whispered, tears in her eyes as she exited Emily's bedroom, Logan had been seeing Jubilee off while she put Emily to bed. She wanted to reach up and kiss him, like she used to, before they both made their way to their respective rooms for the night, but she wasn't sure he would be all that receptive to the idea.
All she got in response was a gruff, "I'll see you in the morning," before he walked into their room- his room, and shut the door behind himself.
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