Business was slow on Tuesdays and Marie was thankful for it because that was the day she had to bring Jamie into work with her.
Kara always worked late on Mondays and Marie felt it wouldn’t be fair to make her watch Jamie without so much as a wink’s sleep in her system.
The characteristically hyper four year old had just bounded out of the diner’s back room with a drawing that she'd made, when one of the customers asked for a refill of coffee.
“Wait a minute baby, I just gotta go give that man his coffee, then I’ll be all set to look at your masterpiece.”
“Kay’.”
As Marie put the coffee pot back in it’s place on the counter she heard the door open and another customer enter.
(mumbled) “It never ends.”
The ever professional waitress put her best smile on and greeted the gruff stranger only to be momentarily thrown off by how familiar he looked.
Marie had never seen the man before that day, but she just couldn’t shake the cognitive reflex.
Shaking off the feeling, she continued as though he were anyone who’d come in off the street.
“Hi, welcome to Betty’s… what can I getcha’?”
Logan looked the young woman over.
She was attractive and gracefully feminine, yet she had a look in her eyes that seemed to say that she’d had it rough; he wondered at that.
Logan was in the process of giving his order when a little girl walked up to the waitress and tugged on her skirt.
“Mommy, you said you’d look at my picture after the coffee thing… you lied.”
Logan’s eyes nearly fell out of their sockets at what he saw.
The little girl looked almost exactly like him, but smaller and of coarse, female.
Her eyes were a deep hazel that complimented her slightly unruly dark brown hair and her stance suggested self reliance and confidence.
The waitress smiled down at her and then apologetically at him.
“I’m sorry… she’s just been trying to show me this drawing of hers… Wait just another minute honey, please? I need to take the man’s order… Sorry… uh, again… what did you say?”
Logan was still staring at the little girl who’d crossed her arms with a huff when she was told to wait even longer.
Her foot tapped on the floor heavily; a load thud emanating in the air each time her dirt covered trainers hit the tile.
TAP!
“Uh… sir?”
TAP!
“I uh, want the… 18 oz steak…”
TAP!
“How do you want that?”
“… Uh, medium rear.”
TAP!
“And what’ll it be for a side… macaroni and cheese, soup, salad or veggies?”
TAP!
Logan swallowed in an unsuccessful effort to clear up the dryness in his throat.
He wondered if anyone else could here the tapping as loudly as he could because it was as if the action echoed throughout the restaurant.
TAP!
“Potatoes?... Uh… do you got em’?”
TAP!
“…Yeah… Are you okay? You look kinda pale, I could get you some water.”
TAP!
“Yeah, you look like you saw a ghost mister.”
“Jamie. Go play in the back room so more… I’ll be there in a few.”
“No you won’t.”
“Yes I will, promise.”
“You swear?”
“Cross my heart.”
“Okay.”
Jamie ran off past the diner’s patrons and disappeared behind the counter.
“Sorry… for the third time. Jamie can be a handful… Now, how bout’ that water?”
“Yeah… thanks.”
“Comin’ right up with the rest of your order.”
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
Barely Legal Since 2000
Author's Chapter Notes:
Yeah, I have rage issues... this is my way of taking them out.