Fic: Happily After? Temptation
author: Lucinda
rating: PG 13
this is the second chapter of Happily After, written in response to
Rebecca's challenge. It starts a few weeks after the end of Spring
Blossoms.
There is a Logan/Marie relationship at the beginning of Temptation,
but that isn't going to last.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the X-Men in any of their many
incarnations.
Distribution: Please ask first.
Marie was feeling good about life. She had Logan for her
very own, and he was every bit as wonderful as she had ever imagined. Between
the combined efforts of Drs Jean Grey and Hank McCoy and help from
Logan, she could finally control her powers, and touch people. That was a
wonderful thing in itself. She had a home here, where it was perfectly fine
that she was a mutant. It was hard to think of any way that life could be
better.
For reasons that Marie wasn't quite sure of, Professor Xavier
had decided that the school needed more students, and he had decided to
call back some of the previous students that he thought would be good
additions to the team. Some of the people usually around the mansion had left
to talk to former students or to locate new mutants that the Professor had
located.
She was walking along a hallway, trying to decide if she
would rather go shopping later with Jubilee and Kitty or stay home and practice
some of her defensive moves that Logan had been teaching her. Shopping was
more fun, but she needed the practice.... Practice first, shop later,
Marie decided. She caught a few words of a conversation that was going on
in one of the rooms, and paused. Had Jean just said what she thought she
had heard?
Marie leaned in the doorway, looking into the room. Jean was
in the room, drinking iced tea and talking with a pair of the new
arrivals. One was Betsy, a purple haired British woman that had been to Xavier's
before. Another was Tabby, and she was new to Xavier's.
They were talking about sex. They were going into details
about their past activities, mainly focused on what had their partners done.
Marie had never ever wanted to think of Scott like that before.... Maybe there
was a little extra in that iced tea after all. Betsy
mentioned one of the people she had attended Xavier's with, someone
named Warren. Apparently, she had caught him skinny dipping in the pond,
and had gotten a very good look at him. He was described as six feet of
rippling, golden muscle, with a charming smile, and lovely white feathered
wings. Tabitha had tried to say something about it being wrong to spy on
him like that, but she was to busy giggling at the idea of him shaking the
water out of large feathered wings like an overgrown sparrow to form a
coherent sentence.
She really shouldn't be listening in like that. With a bit of
reluctance, Marie left the doorway and continued on to her room, so
she could change for her practice. She had Logan, she didn't need to
think about anyone else's toned muscles or how cute their backside looked.
While Marie was out shopping, Professor Xavier called Logan
into his study. He looked troubled, and was turning a small stone knick
knack over in his hands. "Logan. There has been a situation that has come up.
One of my oldest and closest friends has disturbing news. Her ward, a
young mutant, appears to be in trouble. I would like you to go and offer
your assistance."
"I'm sending you to Scotland." The Professor's final words had
a ring of finality to them.
end part 1 of Temptation.
Marie wasn't quite certain what to do next. Logan had been sent
to Scotland, something about one of the Professor's friends needing
help. She didn't need to do any more shopping, she had already practiced today
and taken a five mile run. Wait...Scott had said something about some
of the new books for the fall classes having arrived, maybe she could help
put some of them away. It might keep her occupied until she could figure out
what to do.
She walked into the main hall, still lost in thought. It
wasn't until she actually collided with someone that she realized there were
people in the hall. She caught her balance and found herself looking into the
face of one of the most gorgeous men she had ever seen. He had golden blond
hair with a slight wave, and smiling blue eyes. Large white feathered
wings sprouted from his back. Betsy hadn't exaggerated his good looks at
all.
"Sorry about running inta you like that. I wasn't watching
where I was going." Marie blushed a bit, feeling very self conscious of the
fact that she had run into him.
"No problem. I rarely complain about my attention being drawn
to such a lovely face. I am Warren Worthington." He smiled, reassuring her
that he wasn't angry.
Marie smiled slightly, and continued to the library. She was
going to help unpack some of those books. It would keep her occupied. She
found herself thinking about his smile on the way to the library.
She unpacked quite a number of boxes, and by the end she was
wishing that her mutations had included some sort of super strength. Marie
had never thought about how heavy a box of nothing but hardbound books
would be.
She opened one at random, curious about what the actual
students would be learning about, and her world spun on it's axis. In the book,
there was a black and white picture. The focus was of a delicate oriental woman
in an elegant kimono. Standing slightly behind her and to her right was a
man, dressed in silken robes, but unmistakably Logan.
She ran out of the library to her room. Her mind was full of
so many shocked thoughts that she never looked at the caption below the
picture, reading 'Lady Mariko Yoshida and her consort, photographed 1892,
Tokyo, Japan.'
Down in the med lab, beneath the mansion currently full of
activity because of the new arrivals, Hank McCoy was studying the test
results of some basic metabolic testing on Logan. As near as he could tell,
Logan seemed to be nearly immortal. His system was resistant to poisons
and drugs, seemed immune to all diseases that he could test against a
blood sample, and with his healing factor, his body wouldn't age. Well,
possibly Logan would age over enough centuries, but for practical purposes,
Logan was immortal.
Nobody else that Hank had ever heard of had a lifespan
anywhere near that, with the possible exception of the android that called itself
Vision. He had met the android while studying on some theoretical size
changing with an associate of his, but the android probably wouldn't face some of
the issues that Logan would.
What sort of future was there for a man that would outlive
everyone he knew, outlive any wife, any children? Only someone with some sort
of regenerative factor or some other means of physical renewal would be
able to near his lifespan. How many people could live with the knowledge
that when they were old and wrinkled, their husband would look the same as on
the day they were married? Then, there was the entire probability that
Logan's life before whatever procedure had given him the adamantium probably
hadn't always been alone. Logan had probably had a girlfriend at the very
least, possibly even been married, maybe multiple times. Anyone he entered
a relationship with would have to be able to deal with that.
end part 2.
Logan was in Scotland. He wondered if he had been here
sometime before, in his now forgotten past. He could have been many places,
he didn't know. He had met Xavier's friend, another geneticist. Moira
McTaggert also studied virology, learning how a virus worked and what to do to
counter it. Her labs made him twitchy. Someone had kidnapped her ward. Rhane
Sinclair was a mutant, with the ability to change into a wolf. McTaggert
didn't know if the girl had been kidnapped because she was a mutant, because she
was Moira's ward, or just because she had been in the wrong place at the
wrong time.
He had found rumors of a kidnapping ring operating in the
area. He was currently in a bar, sipping at his drink, listening to the
burly men in the far corner discussing their last batch of pickings. They
mentioned something about having grabbed a blond and a redhead this time, and
that 'he' would find rich buyers for them.
Logan was positive they were the people that had grabbed
Rhane. He was debating if it would be best to confront them here or follow them
later when he suddenly had a lapful of generously curved warm woman. She wore
a low cut blouse, and her pants hugged every curve of her legs. She was
an amazing example of womanhood, and she was currently whispering
interesting suggestions into his ear.
Temptation had never looked so inviting. For a few moments,
Logan thought about her offer. But then, he remembered Marie. Marie,
with her soft warm eyes, whispering at him to hurry home.
"Darlin', I can't say that you aren't the most tempting woman
in this entire place. Unfortunately, I have a sweet gal back at home. If
things were different, maybe. As it is, I gotta say thanks, but no
thanks." Logan's voice was low, so as to not carry in the noise of the bar,
but he could tell the woman had heard him.
She moved off his lap in a single movement, and whispered back "
Sorry to hear that. Give me a call if you ever change your mind." With
that, she sauntered away from the bar, her hips swaying slightly.
Logan closed his eyes and counted to ten. In every language he
knew. He hadn't realized being virtuous was so damn hard.
* * *
Warren had managed to talk Marie into going out for dinner
with him. They had gone to this amazingly expensive Japanese place. Marie had
the suspicion that she probably shouldn't have accepted, but what harm
could it do?
After dinner, they went out dancing. Warren was a wonderful
dancer, amazingly light on his feet. He smiled at her, and gave her
compliments about her smile, her dress, the shade of her eyes the whole
evening. She had accused him of flirting with her, but he had only laughed, and
insisted that every word he had said was the truth.
They didn't get back to the mansion until three in the morning,
and Marie was giddy from the evening. In her hair was the single red
rose that Warren had given her. He gave her a kiss on the cheek goodnight as
they separated.
end part 3.
The past week with Warren had been amazing. They had gone out
to dinner at expensive restaraunts, they had been dancing. He had taken her
to the theater, and she had seen the musical Phantom of the Opera from a
box seat. He had been charming, and made her laugh and smile all the time.
She felt alive with him, alive and beautiful, and appreciated. They never
talked about anything farther ahead than tommorow evening's plans. Marie
had teased Warren that he was indulging her every whim. The first
night's kiss on the cheek had been replaced with more passionate kisses, with
lips and tongues involved.
They had been exchanging smoldering glances all evening, and
only danced for an hour before returning to the mansion. They had entered
through the back door, eyes full of passionate promises, hands sliding over
flesh, caressing and teasing. They had gone to Warren's room, and he had
dazzled her with breathtaking passion.
Over the next few days, they had shared more secret passionate
encounters. They had met in the library, excited by the possibility
of discovery. They had tried the little gazebo in the garden, and the
showers near the danger room after a rousing workout.
Marie sometimes felt a bit guilty about these passionate
meetings with Warren. Didn't she have Logan? Wasn't he her very own? But she
kept remembering the picture she has seen, Logan standing with some
Japanese woman, looking very comfortable with her. If they had been just
friends, she was the Pope. Besides, it wasn't like it really meant
anything. She didn't love Warren, and she didn't plan on a future with him.
What harm could there be?
end part 4.
Hank McCoy was convinced that Marie was up to something. She
had been amazingly hard to find over the past few weeks. There had to be
something that she was doing in all that time, but he had no idea what it
could be. He was trying to get basic medical records on all the new arrivals, so
that if anything happened, they would be prepared to treat the injured
individual. Unfortunately, his supply of food had run out. He would have to go
upstairs and find more, preferably after a nice hot meal.
He helped himself to coffee, and began assembling some food to
take below with him. As he pulled some boxes down from a shelf, he heard
some girls talking. They were talking about Marie and her golden
boyfriend, and speculating where they would go to dinner next.
What?!? Marie was involved with Logan, wasn't she? Logan was
most definitely not golden. What in the name of mercy and apple pie was
going on here? He had a suspicion that he wouldn't like the answer very much.
Meanwhile, Marie was in her room, staring at her calender. This
was an entirely unexpected problem. Her period was three days late, and
she was never late. Discovering she was a mutant, hitchhiking across the
country, being kidnapped by Magneto - nothing had ever disrupted the
regularity of her cycle. But the calendar was indisputable. She was late.
end Temptations.
author: Lucinda
rating: PG 13
this is the second chapter of Happily After, written in response to
Rebecca's challenge. It starts a few weeks after the end of Spring
Blossoms.
There is a Logan/Marie relationship at the beginning of Temptation,
but that isn't going to last.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the X-Men in any of their many
incarnations.
Distribution: Please ask first.
Marie was feeling good about life. She had Logan for her
very own, and he was every bit as wonderful as she had ever imagined. Between
the combined efforts of Drs Jean Grey and Hank McCoy and help from
Logan, she could finally control her powers, and touch people. That was a
wonderful thing in itself. She had a home here, where it was perfectly fine
that she was a mutant. It was hard to think of any way that life could be
better.
For reasons that Marie wasn't quite sure of, Professor Xavier
had decided that the school needed more students, and he had decided to
call back some of the previous students that he thought would be good
additions to the team. Some of the people usually around the mansion had left
to talk to former students or to locate new mutants that the Professor had
located.
She was walking along a hallway, trying to decide if she
would rather go shopping later with Jubilee and Kitty or stay home and practice
some of her defensive moves that Logan had been teaching her. Shopping was
more fun, but she needed the practice.... Practice first, shop later,
Marie decided. She caught a few words of a conversation that was going on
in one of the rooms, and paused. Had Jean just said what she thought she
had heard?
Marie leaned in the doorway, looking into the room. Jean was
in the room, drinking iced tea and talking with a pair of the new
arrivals. One was Betsy, a purple haired British woman that had been to Xavier's
before. Another was Tabby, and she was new to Xavier's.
They were talking about sex. They were going into details
about their past activities, mainly focused on what had their partners done.
Marie had never ever wanted to think of Scott like that before.... Maybe there
was a little extra in that iced tea after all. Betsy
mentioned one of the people she had attended Xavier's with, someone
named Warren. Apparently, she had caught him skinny dipping in the pond,
and had gotten a very good look at him. He was described as six feet of
rippling, golden muscle, with a charming smile, and lovely white feathered
wings. Tabitha had tried to say something about it being wrong to spy on
him like that, but she was to busy giggling at the idea of him shaking the
water out of large feathered wings like an overgrown sparrow to form a
coherent sentence.
She really shouldn't be listening in like that. With a bit of
reluctance, Marie left the doorway and continued on to her room, so
she could change for her practice. She had Logan, she didn't need to
think about anyone else's toned muscles or how cute their backside looked.
While Marie was out shopping, Professor Xavier called Logan
into his study. He looked troubled, and was turning a small stone knick
knack over in his hands. "Logan. There has been a situation that has come up.
One of my oldest and closest friends has disturbing news. Her ward, a
young mutant, appears to be in trouble. I would like you to go and offer
your assistance."
"I'm sending you to Scotland." The Professor's final words had
a ring of finality to them.
end part 1 of Temptation.
Marie wasn't quite certain what to do next. Logan had been sent
to Scotland, something about one of the Professor's friends needing
help. She didn't need to do any more shopping, she had already practiced today
and taken a five mile run. Wait...Scott had said something about some
of the new books for the fall classes having arrived, maybe she could help
put some of them away. It might keep her occupied until she could figure out
what to do.
She walked into the main hall, still lost in thought. It
wasn't until she actually collided with someone that she realized there were
people in the hall. She caught her balance and found herself looking into the
face of one of the most gorgeous men she had ever seen. He had golden blond
hair with a slight wave, and smiling blue eyes. Large white feathered
wings sprouted from his back. Betsy hadn't exaggerated his good looks at
all.
"Sorry about running inta you like that. I wasn't watching
where I was going." Marie blushed a bit, feeling very self conscious of the
fact that she had run into him.
"No problem. I rarely complain about my attention being drawn
to such a lovely face. I am Warren Worthington." He smiled, reassuring her
that he wasn't angry.
Marie smiled slightly, and continued to the library. She was
going to help unpack some of those books. It would keep her occupied. She
found herself thinking about his smile on the way to the library.
She unpacked quite a number of boxes, and by the end she was
wishing that her mutations had included some sort of super strength. Marie
had never thought about how heavy a box of nothing but hardbound books
would be.
She opened one at random, curious about what the actual
students would be learning about, and her world spun on it's axis. In the book,
there was a black and white picture. The focus was of a delicate oriental woman
in an elegant kimono. Standing slightly behind her and to her right was a
man, dressed in silken robes, but unmistakably Logan.
She ran out of the library to her room. Her mind was full of
so many shocked thoughts that she never looked at the caption below the
picture, reading 'Lady Mariko Yoshida and her consort, photographed 1892,
Tokyo, Japan.'
Down in the med lab, beneath the mansion currently full of
activity because of the new arrivals, Hank McCoy was studying the test
results of some basic metabolic testing on Logan. As near as he could tell,
Logan seemed to be nearly immortal. His system was resistant to poisons
and drugs, seemed immune to all diseases that he could test against a
blood sample, and with his healing factor, his body wouldn't age. Well,
possibly Logan would age over enough centuries, but for practical purposes,
Logan was immortal.
Nobody else that Hank had ever heard of had a lifespan
anywhere near that, with the possible exception of the android that called itself
Vision. He had met the android while studying on some theoretical size
changing with an associate of his, but the android probably wouldn't face some of
the issues that Logan would.
What sort of future was there for a man that would outlive
everyone he knew, outlive any wife, any children? Only someone with some sort
of regenerative factor or some other means of physical renewal would be
able to near his lifespan. How many people could live with the knowledge
that when they were old and wrinkled, their husband would look the same as on
the day they were married? Then, there was the entire probability that
Logan's life before whatever procedure had given him the adamantium probably
hadn't always been alone. Logan had probably had a girlfriend at the very
least, possibly even been married, maybe multiple times. Anyone he entered
a relationship with would have to be able to deal with that.
end part 2.
Logan was in Scotland. He wondered if he had been here
sometime before, in his now forgotten past. He could have been many places,
he didn't know. He had met Xavier's friend, another geneticist. Moira
McTaggert also studied virology, learning how a virus worked and what to do to
counter it. Her labs made him twitchy. Someone had kidnapped her ward. Rhane
Sinclair was a mutant, with the ability to change into a wolf. McTaggert
didn't know if the girl had been kidnapped because she was a mutant, because she
was Moira's ward, or just because she had been in the wrong place at the
wrong time.
He had found rumors of a kidnapping ring operating in the
area. He was currently in a bar, sipping at his drink, listening to the
burly men in the far corner discussing their last batch of pickings. They
mentioned something about having grabbed a blond and a redhead this time, and
that 'he' would find rich buyers for them.
Logan was positive they were the people that had grabbed
Rhane. He was debating if it would be best to confront them here or follow them
later when he suddenly had a lapful of generously curved warm woman. She wore
a low cut blouse, and her pants hugged every curve of her legs. She was
an amazing example of womanhood, and she was currently whispering
interesting suggestions into his ear.
Temptation had never looked so inviting. For a few moments,
Logan thought about her offer. But then, he remembered Marie. Marie,
with her soft warm eyes, whispering at him to hurry home.
"Darlin', I can't say that you aren't the most tempting woman
in this entire place. Unfortunately, I have a sweet gal back at home. If
things were different, maybe. As it is, I gotta say thanks, but no
thanks." Logan's voice was low, so as to not carry in the noise of the bar,
but he could tell the woman had heard him.
She moved off his lap in a single movement, and whispered back "
Sorry to hear that. Give me a call if you ever change your mind." With
that, she sauntered away from the bar, her hips swaying slightly.
Logan closed his eyes and counted to ten. In every language he
knew. He hadn't realized being virtuous was so damn hard.
* * *
Warren had managed to talk Marie into going out for dinner
with him. They had gone to this amazingly expensive Japanese place. Marie had
the suspicion that she probably shouldn't have accepted, but what harm
could it do?
After dinner, they went out dancing. Warren was a wonderful
dancer, amazingly light on his feet. He smiled at her, and gave her
compliments about her smile, her dress, the shade of her eyes the whole
evening. She had accused him of flirting with her, but he had only laughed, and
insisted that every word he had said was the truth.
They didn't get back to the mansion until three in the morning,
and Marie was giddy from the evening. In her hair was the single red
rose that Warren had given her. He gave her a kiss on the cheek goodnight as
they separated.
end part 3.
The past week with Warren had been amazing. They had gone out
to dinner at expensive restaraunts, they had been dancing. He had taken her
to the theater, and she had seen the musical Phantom of the Opera from a
box seat. He had been charming, and made her laugh and smile all the time.
She felt alive with him, alive and beautiful, and appreciated. They never
talked about anything farther ahead than tommorow evening's plans. Marie
had teased Warren that he was indulging her every whim. The first
night's kiss on the cheek had been replaced with more passionate kisses, with
lips and tongues involved.
They had been exchanging smoldering glances all evening, and
only danced for an hour before returning to the mansion. They had entered
through the back door, eyes full of passionate promises, hands sliding over
flesh, caressing and teasing. They had gone to Warren's room, and he had
dazzled her with breathtaking passion.
Over the next few days, they had shared more secret passionate
encounters. They had met in the library, excited by the possibility
of discovery. They had tried the little gazebo in the garden, and the
showers near the danger room after a rousing workout.
Marie sometimes felt a bit guilty about these passionate
meetings with Warren. Didn't she have Logan? Wasn't he her very own? But she
kept remembering the picture she has seen, Logan standing with some
Japanese woman, looking very comfortable with her. If they had been just
friends, she was the Pope. Besides, it wasn't like it really meant
anything. She didn't love Warren, and she didn't plan on a future with him.
What harm could there be?
end part 4.
Hank McCoy was convinced that Marie was up to something. She
had been amazingly hard to find over the past few weeks. There had to be
something that she was doing in all that time, but he had no idea what it
could be. He was trying to get basic medical records on all the new arrivals, so
that if anything happened, they would be prepared to treat the injured
individual. Unfortunately, his supply of food had run out. He would have to go
upstairs and find more, preferably after a nice hot meal.
He helped himself to coffee, and began assembling some food to
take below with him. As he pulled some boxes down from a shelf, he heard
some girls talking. They were talking about Marie and her golden
boyfriend, and speculating where they would go to dinner next.
What?!? Marie was involved with Logan, wasn't she? Logan was
most definitely not golden. What in the name of mercy and apple pie was
going on here? He had a suspicion that he wouldn't like the answer very much.
Meanwhile, Marie was in her room, staring at her calender. This
was an entirely unexpected problem. Her period was three days late, and
she was never late. Discovering she was a mutant, hitchhiking across the
country, being kidnapped by Magneto - nothing had ever disrupted the
regularity of her cycle. But the calendar was indisputable. She was late.
end Temptations.