Author's note: Okay, since some of you wanted it, here is the short Sequel to Love and Pain lie close together. I hope you enjoy reading it. ; ) Please review!!
I described the place where they live in the Epilogue and was looking for a place in Australia that looks like it. Since I couldn't find one, just imagine it as the Wisteria Lane of Desperate housewives, close to the beach and ocean and with nice looking white houses. ; )
All Marvel-characters belong to Marvel, al non-Marvel characters (Johnny, the Stewards, Old Tom, Ava, Marc, Cap, Jennifer, Chris, Julian Michael, June Vanessa) belong to me, including the idea of the story. You can read in Changes Chapter 10 why I am writing this all of a sudden!
Thanks to sammygirl for helping me with two names. ; )
Love and Pain Sequel – Oz
She remembered. In December there had always been snow. The mansion's garden had always been covered in the thick, white stuff and they'd gone outside to do there traditional snow fights. There was definitely snow now, too, but she didn't know if there were still enough of them left to go on with the tradition.
Here, December always meant very hot weather and sunshine. Even the wind was hot and you couldn't do much than either try to get some cool air within the house or just lay in the sand for a few minutes. Here, it was the perfect opposite of what she's come to call there. There wasn't her home anymore, there was only an old memory that had turned from happy into a nightmare. She knew there would be no more snow fights in there. Also the people, her old family, were only something old that laid in the past for her. She didn't miss them. Why should she? They had turned another happy time into a nightmare, had turned against her and her new family and they were the reason why she had lost a whole year with her baby. It hadn't been enough for them to just shoot her. That what they'd done afterwards had cost her a lot of time. Something she would never forgive them. After they'd destroyed her body, she had to use all of her strength to put her pieces back together. It had taken a long time before her aim had been accomplished. She'd woken up in the cold in the wood, of which she remembered it was where she'd died and she had been confused. She hadn't known when she was, if a few hours, days, months or even years had past. All she'd known was that she'd been alone and that he hadn't been close by. A man had found her and brought her to his home and she had remembered his name after a few days. It had been the old Tom, who had helped them through most of their hard time, who had given them shelter when their child had been born and who had become a close friend. He had given her an envelope that, as he'd told her, had arrived a few days after he'd left the country. She hadn't been able to believe her eyes as she'd seen what had been in it. He really had believed in her, believed that she would come back to him and their son. As soon as she'd been able to walk properly and had regained most of her strength, he'd brought her to the next airport and she'd taken the first plane to Australia.
Her only problem was that the letter had only said he'd be in Sydney and would try to find a place she'd like. She'd remembered that she had told him she'd always loved the ocean, so she'd thought he would be somewhere near to it. After trying to find her family for days, she'd been lucky when she'd seen a girl, who'd obviously been food shopping, with two babies in a stroller. It hadn't taken her long to pick up on her son's waves and she'd followed her to a small neighborhood near the ocean. Since she hadn't been sure what to do next, she'd remained hidden and had waited.
It had taken some time and she'd seen how the backdoor to the small terrace had opened and a husky had instantly run towards to ocean. But the dog, even if it hadn't surprised her at all that there was one, hadn't had her attention at this moment. Her eyes had rather switched toward the man at the door and the boy in the highchair. She hadn't believed her luck that she had really found them. All she'd wanted was to run towards them, but she'd known it wasn't possible. She couldn't just reappear. So she'd waited. There had been a moment where she'd first thought that she'd been spotted by him, but after his eyes had just switched to the ocean again, she'd been more relaxed. Probably, she'd thought, he'd imagined to see or smell her too often and just dismissed it as an allusion. And as he'd told her later, she'd been right with it. She'd remained hidden until it had gotten dark. When she'd been about to approach the house, the backdoor had opened again and he'd stepped outside. She'd been torn between just running over to him or sneaking into the house, but in the end, she'd done the latter.
It had amazed her that he'd really picked a house she'd imagine during their talks. She'd loved every bit of it. Her heart had been racing when she'd ascended the stairs, following her son's wave and she'd nearly broken down when she'd seen him being asleep in the small bed. As she'd reached out to stroke over his cheek, she'd heard how he'd come back in and her heart had begun to race. Inside the room hadn't been a place to hide and she hadn't wanted to give him a shock by just being there. It hadn't taken long and she'd heard him stopping in front of the door briefly, before he disappeared in the room next to it. After she'd remained a bit longer in her son's room, she'd heaved a deep breath and had entered his room quietly, had heard him scolding the husky for sleeping on the bed again, before she'd dared to lay down next to him. After she'd wrapped her arms around him and had been unable to hold back her tears of relief any longer, it became aware to her that he'd spotted her in their son's room before. That night they hadn't done anything else but holding each other as if their lives had depended on it. Not wanting to waste any more time, they'd been married within the next week and she'd finally been able to relax and rest again. Even if their wedding in the small church close to their house hadn't been anything special, it had been the happiest moment, next to their son's birth, that she'd ever experienced in her life. Especially, since she'd been able to talk him into a tux. Miranda and her mother had been their witnesses and celebrated their wedding with them and the thing that surprised her the most, had been that she didn't miss the others. She'd realized that she didn't need them for being happy…
With his help she'd been able to find a job in a Children Day Care Centre where she worked as a doctor. She couldn't deny that she didn't like that job. For her it was a lot of fun to work with children and she'd wanted to go on with that if there hadn't been a surprise four years later…
"Higher, daddy," Jean heard Johnny cheering and awoke from the daydream she had, while she'd been staring into the blue sky through her sunglasses. She smiled when Logan pulled their nearly six year old son up into the air, just to let him drop into the water of the ocean again. Next to them barked Cap, who really looked like a drowned dog and obviously couldn't decide to weather join them in the water or remain on the beach and watch. She saw Logan leaving the water to come over to her. "Right in time," she smiled and he cocked an eyebrow at her while drying his dripping wet, dark hair.
"For what?" he wanted to know as she handed him a bottle.
"To take care of my back," Jean smiled and made him smirk as she rolled onto her belly. Sighing, she rested her head on her arms and enjoyed the feeling of his hands that put crème onto her back.
"Ah, you pig!" Logan suddenly cursed and she turned her head in surprise just to let out a laugh, when Cap stopped shaking and splashing everything of his wet fur onto him. "Go away, ya freakin' dog!" Cursing he took a towel and dried his tanned skin again.
While he did so, Jean turned her head to the other side and supported herself with both arms on her towel. "Ava?" she called and a small girl turned her head. "Come here, honey, you need to put new crème on." She watched how the girl left her best friend, Marc, who was the son of one of their neighbors, and came over to them. It still appeared to her as if it had happened yesterday that she'd been at work and had suddenly felt sick to the stomach. Thinking that she'd caught a virus, which wasn't so unusual since she worked with so many children, she'd returned home earlier and had gone to bed; enjoying how her husband had brought her everything she'd wanted and had taken care of her. Since she felt even worse the day afterwards, they'd brought Johnny over to the Stewards and had visited a doctor, who'd given her something against the vomiting. First, she'd thought she was better, but the days afterwards taught her better. When Logan had to go to work, which he did when she was off from herwork and could stay at home to watch over their son, she'd laid in bed and had desperately tried to keep her breakfast in, or at least that what she'd eaten from it. Since this was a useless mission, as she'd noticed, she'd asked the Stewards again to watch over Johnny and had driven to another doctor, just to be surprised by some rather shocking news…
In the evening, when Logan had returned home from work, he'd found Jean and Johnny asleep in their bed after taking a shower and, surprisingly, an envelope on his pillow. He'd frowned while sitting down and had opened it, just to find a white piece of paper in it, which only said My stomach flu! written by her on it and had given her a cocked eyebrow, since he didn't really understand what she was up to, until he'd thought about turning the paper around… She still remembered how she'd gotten up on the next morning, finally feeling a bit better, and had run into her more than happy husband, who'd prepared a breakfast for her that would have been enough for at least 5 people. It was then that, about a bit more than 8 month later, their daughter Ava Marie had been born, making them as a couple even happier than before.
"Can I go playing with Marc again?" her little-me asked and Jean smiled after putting the bottle away again.
"Of course you can. But remember that we will have dinner in about 2 hours, okay?" she asked her and gave her a quick kiss, before Ava was about to run off again.
"Hey, what about me?" Logan asked playfully outraged and the girl stopped instantly to run back to her father and give him a kiss on the cheek. "That's better. Now go and have fun." He watched smiling how she sat down next to Marc and went on building their sandcastle. "They're growin' way to fast…," he complained after a moment and while Jean had to laugh, he let out a groan as Johnny jumped onto his back. "I ain't a moonwalk, kid."
"Chris asked if I wanna see his new game, can I go with him?" the boy asked pleadingly and rocked forwards and backwards on his father's back, ignoring that this one let out a short growl. "Please, can I go?"
"If you're back home at 6 then yes," Jean replied and the boy smiled widely first, before he ran off. "You're shirt, Johnny!" she called after him and the boy nearly toppled over as he stopped instantly to run back. Only shaking her head, Jean watched how the boy ran off again, followed by a barking Cap. "They must have this from you…," she mumbled as he Logan sat up again, covered with sand. "I think you need a shower, honey."
Hearing her giggle, he let out a growl and pulled her quickly over to dump sand onto her, too. "Really?" he asked and rubbed himself against her, not listening to her protesting squeals. "I need a shower, darlin'? Ya sure?" Letting go of her again, he gave her a smug grin and received a slap against his chest.
"You are such a big child, Logan!" Jean scolded him playfully and tried to wipe her body clean again, as she suddenly made a disgusted face. "Euw…."
"Euw?" he asked chuckling. "What's euw?"
"There is also sand in my pants, you pig," she cried and threw sand at him when eh chuckled again. "Damn you!"
"Well, I think ya need a shower, darlin'," Logan smirked and crawled over to her, straddling her a bit before he kissed her neck softly. "Hm…am I right that the ankle biters are gone for at least 2 hours?" he asked her huskily and she shivered.
"Maybe…," Jean replied with a blush and quickly turned her head to make sure that Ava was still occupied. "Why?"
Still smirking he let a hand run over her waist. "So…we're actually alone for a while?"
"Possibly…," she said and met his eyes, seeing the glint in them. "What are you up to?" she added with a frown, but he had already grabbed their things and pulled her up.
"Ava?" Logan called and the girl turned around. "We're inside, okay? You can go on playin' until 6." Waiting for her nod, he dragged Jean over and into the house, where he closed the door with his foot and just dropped their things to the ground.
"Logan!" Jean squealed as he pulled her up and over his shoulder, before he made his way upstairs into the bathroom. "What if Johnny comes back earlier?" she asked as he pushed her back against the door, kissing her neck feverishly and began to undress her quickly.
"He won't," he mumbled and went on with his work, making her gasp when he bit into her shoulder softly.
"How…," she swallowed and buried her hands into his hair. "How can you be so sure?"
He stopped briefly to look at her. "Because I know him," Logan simply shrugged and got rid of his black board shorts, before he pulled her up against him and carried her over into the shower. "And because it'll be me again who has to go over to bring him home for dinner," he added huskily and pulled her into a passionate kiss. "So…are we done talkin'?" he asked her hoarsly after breaking it again, but as an answer she pulled him closer with her long legs and kissed him hungrily again…
"Mommy?" Ava called and opened the backdoor quickly just to find her parents in the kitchen and occupied with cooking.
"What's wrong?" Logan asked as he noticed that she was sniffing and went down on his knees a bit to have a better look at her.
"My knee hurts," she cried and hugged him.
"Did you fall down?" Jean asked worriedly and took a tissue to wipe the small trace of blood from her daughter's knee, when the girl nodded into Logan's chest. "Daddy goes upstairs with you and takes care of it, okay?" She watched how Logan pulled her up and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Can you get Johnny afterwards?"
Smirking, he went over to the door. "Told ya so, didn't I?" he asked and she only shook her head smiling. Upstairs he sat Ava down on the toilet and took the First Aid Kit from a board. "Let's see…," he mumbled and got the things he needed out of it before he looked at the small wound again. For him it was really nothing, but he knew how sensitive the girl was when it came to the tiniest scratch. "Does it hurt?" Logan asked her and cleaned the wound carefully. Of course he received another loud sniff and a nod from her. He shook his head smiling and put a plaster on it. "There ya go. Better?"
"No," the girl sniffed and rubbed her eyes. "You need to kiss it. Mommy does that, too."
"Kiss it, eh?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow and did so. "Now better?"
"Yeah!" she nodded and reached out to wrap her arms around his neck tightly. "But I can't walk…"
Letting out a laugh, Logan put the kit away again and pulled her up. "That bad, huh?" he teased her and carried her down again. "Mommy, our daughter is very sick," he told his wife and put the girl onto the counter.
"Is she?" Jean asked and began to put four plates onto the table with a smile on her lips. She knew their little drama queen. "My…what can we do to make it better, hm?" she asked the girl when Logan turned around to go over to their neighbors and get their son.
"You need to kiss it, too," the girl said and pointed at her knee, making her mother nod and do it.
"Better?" the redhead asked the smaller one and smiled when she received a nod. "Good. Now come on, you can put the glasses onto the table, okay?"
"Okay," Ava said and jumped off the counter easily.
"Hey, I thought you're so sick?" her mother scolded her playfully and grabbed her to tickle her. "You little liar!" she said and laughed, too, when the girl started writhing and squealing on the ground.
Logan, in the meanwhile, had reached the house on the opposite side of the street, next to the Stewards. He greeted Miranda and her mother, who sat on the terrace in front of their house and waved over to him, briefly and knocked on the door of their neighbor. It didn't take long and a very beautiful looking blonde woman opened. "Hi," she greeted him and stepped aside to let him in.
"Hi, Jennifer," he said and returned her smile briefly, before he looked around. "I wanted to get Johnny."
"Sure," the woman nodded and beckoned him to follow her down the corridor and into the living room. "Johnny, you're daddy's here." She said and the boy turned around.
"Already?" he asked and looked at the screen again. "Can I stay five minutes longer?"
"No, ya can't," Logan replied and crossed his arms to lean against the door.
"But why not?" the boy asked him slightly angered and went on playing.
"Because we said 6, no it's even 10 past 6 and dinner's ready," his father told him sternly and received a groan from him. "And there won't be any discussions now!"
"But I'm not hungry," Johnny said and put the controller finally down after he'd noticed the warning look the adult gave him. "Can I play with him tomorrow again then?"
"Sure," Logan shrugged.
Getting up, Johnny gave Chris a short wave with his hand. "See ya tomorrow."
"Yeah, bye!" Chris replied and turned the Playstation off. "By, Mr. Logan!" he added quickly when the man was about to turn around.
"Bye, kid," Logan said and laid a hand on Johnny's back to guide him to the door.
"Oh, Logan," Jennifer suddenly said and touched his arm, making him stop in the doorway. "I wanted to ask if you could do me a favor?"
Shrugging, he made a step back to avoid her touch. "'n what?"
"Since you work in a garage, ehm… Well, I just need my car and it's not working properly lately. I can't afford to pay for a new one, so could you…?"
"Sure," he said and received a smile from her. "How about tomorrow?"
"Perfect!" Jennifer said and nodded. "See you tomorrow, then!"
He nodded and turned around to walk back to his own house. Later, when everyone was finally in bed, Jean rested her head on Logan's shoulder while she had her arms wrapped around his waist and enjoyed how he stroked up and down her back with one hand. "Did you plan anythin' for tomorrow?" he asked her sleepily and she stretched a bit.
"No. Why?"
"Jennifer asked if I could repair her car," Logan told her an didn't see how she opened her eyes.
"Did she?" Jean asked rather chilly and let go of him.
Being confused about her sudden change of mood, he opened his eyes, too, and gave her a look. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she said and patted her pillow, a bit too hard as he noticed.
"Jeannie, what's wrong all of a sudden?" Logan demanded to know and sat up to look down on her with furrowed brows.
"Why do you have to repair her car?" Jean suddenly asked and he cocked an eyebrow.
"Don't tell me you're jealous of her, just because I agreed on repairin' her car?!" he said in disbelief and by saying he noticed how stupid it sounded.
"I just don't like her, Logan, and you know that!" she gave back sourly and he chuckled. "What?!" Narrowing her eyes, she gave him a warning glare, but he only shook his head grinning.
"You're really jealous, eh?" he asked amused and rolled over, so that he laid on his belly right next to her, while his elbows supported him. "Jean, it's only a car… I'm much more in love with ours and my bike," he chuckled.
"You know what I mean, Logan. I am not talking about the car," she hissed and held his gaze. "Jean, I'm married to ya," he tried to soothe her and dared to move a bit closer.
"Right, and you don't find her attractive, hm?" Jean asked back and he sighed.
"I'm a man, darlin'. 'f course I think she's attractive, but there's a different between thinkin' someone's attractive and bein' in love with someone else, don't ya think?" he asked her calmly and gave her a look that spoke volumes. "And besides you're far more beautiful than all women of this city combined," he added with a smug grin and finally got a weak smile from her. "So, is it my cuddle-time now, or what?"
While she sat on the table in the living room and was painting pictures with Ava, Jean kept on looking out of the window and to the house into which Logan had disappeared a few minutes ago. She knew she could trust him, but she didn't trust that woman at all. She didn't like the way she always smiled and looked at him and she could tell that the woman would try to get to him. "Do you want to drink something, honey?" she asked and stroked over the girls red hair.
Nodding, Ava grabbed a blue pen next. "An iced tea."
"Okay," Jean nodded and got up to get her something, again giving the house on the other side a skeptical look.
"Can I help you with anything?" Jennifer asked and bent over a bit while leaning onto the open hood.
Looking up, the first thing he noticed was her low neckline that presented itself very visible to him. Clearing his throat he shook his head. "Ehm…no. Actually not."
"Oh, it is okay that Johnny and Chris are outside, right?!" she asked and pointed with her finger behind her. "Miranda is with them."
"Sure," he shrugged and went on with his work when she came closer again to look over his shoulder.
"Do you already know what's wrong with it?" she asked and received a look from him.
"As far as I can tell it needs a new battery and some things need to be replaced," Logan replied and she nodded. Reaching out he grabbed a towel and wiped his hands clean. "I don't have a battery here, so ya need to buy one. The rest shouldn't be a problem."
"Okay," Jennifer said with a sigh. "Do you want to drink something? I put some sodas into the fridge before you came." Seeing his restraint, she smiled and grabbed his hand. "Come on. You're already working on it for nearly an hour. You can use a break."
After he'd sat down on the sofa in her living room, Logan took a look around. Her house looked the same from the way the rooms were arranged, but the interior couldn't be more different. For his taste, there were just too many colors. "Here," she suddenly said and handed him a cold coke, just to sit down next to him.
"Thanks," he murmured and sipped on it.
"I'm just curious, but…," Jennifer began after a moment, "…you're originally not from here, are you?"
"How can ya tell?"
"I don't know. You just don't sound like an Aussie from time to time," she smiled and he chuckled.
"Busted," he smirked. "I'm Canadian."
"Canadian?" she asked surprised and he nodded. "How come you're here now?"
"Well, we just decided to move down to Oz," Logan shrugged and sipped on his bottle again.
"And you like it here? It must be pretty different. I heard the Canadian mountains are very cold."
"You've no idea," he chuckled. "But, yeah, we like it here."
Jennifer gave him another smile and turned a bit more towards him. "Don't you miss it?"
Thinking about it, he sipped on the bottle again. Of course he missed the familiar isolation of the mountains, the snow, the wolves, the natural scents, the noises he could hear every time he'd left his cabin…but returning to that continent? No, he definitely wouldn't do that. Not after everything that had happened. "No…," Logan replied and shook his head. "No, I don't miss it."
"But…don't you have family there?" she asked with a frown, which became stronger when he shook his head again. "No parents or siblings?"
"No…"
She gave him a sympathetic look and laid a hand on his left thigh, which he noticed with a brief look onto it. "That's sad," Jennifer said and moved a bit closer. "I'd bet your parents were nice people…"
"Don't know…," he replied and watched her attentively. "I don't remember them."
Hearing it she looked up and gave him a confused look. "You don't remember them?" Jennifer asked with raised eyebrows. "Why?"
He sighed. "Why do ya want to know?"
"Well, because it's strange that you don't remember your parents!" she gave back and tilted her head a bit, just to bend forward next. "Did you…lose them very early or what happened?"
He shook his head and put the empty bottle onto the table. "I lost my memory due to…an accident," he simply said and hoped to satisfy her with it. When he looked up again, he noticed her sympathetic look.
"That's terrible!" Jennifer said and shook her head. "How did that happen?!"
Cocking an eyebrow at her he couldn't help but chuckle. "Well,…I don't know, remember?"
"Stupid me!" she scolded herself and slapped one hand against her forehead with a short laughter.
Hearing it, Logan smiled briefly and held her gaze. She really was an attractive woman, he couldn't deny that. Her blue eyes sparkled with joy and her long blonde hair reflected the sunlight that played with the interior of the room. Besides that, she obviously liked to work-out. "Why do ya live alone?"
Sighing, she shrugged. "Better ask, why my boyfriend left me after finding out I was pregnant," Jennifer replied with a look that spoke volumes and looked on the hand that still rested on his thigh. "But I don't know… Maybe I'm just not good-looking enough…"
"That's bullshit," Logan replied and shook his head, making her look up again.
"Is it?" she asked innocently and tilted her head again.
"Yeah, when was the last time ya looked into a mirror, eh?"
"So…you think I'm good-looking?"
"Tell me a man who'd think different," he replied and she smiled.
"Well…," Jennifer went on and lowered her gaze while she began to stroke over his inner thigh, noticing that he shifted his position a bit. "…I think you're pretty handsome, too…," she purred and looked up when he grabbed her wrist quickly.
"Stop this!" he hissed, but she smiled.
"Why?" she asked and her lips turned into a seductive smile, while her free hand reached out to him. "And you can't deny that you liked it…"
Trying to move away from her, Logan shook his head. "I'm married…," he said and she laughed.
"And? Does Jean have to know?" Jennifer asked him and traced his featured after he'd let go of her wrist. "You can't deny your reaction," she went on and moved a bit closer again, before she touched him. "She doesn't have to know about this…," he heard her purring and heaved a deep breath, cursing his body at the moment for reacting to her advances. Looking down, he watched how her delicate hands ran over his thighs, before she left the sofa and knelt down in front of him with a smile. With her eyes on his, she reached out and slowly began to open his belt, as…
"No!" Logan said and got up.
"Why not?" Jennifer asked him in disbelief and ran a hand through her hair in frustration.
"What's so wrong about having a bit fun with each other?"
Shaking his head, he went over to the door. "I'm married to Jean and I love her," he simply said, but she let out a laugh.
"Right," she nodded and got up, too, to walk over to him. "That's why you have a pretty obvious problem down there, hm? Because you love her."
Looking down, he sighed as she reached out to touch his cheek. "I'm not denyin' the reaction, but I ain't gonna cheat on my wife."
Holding his gaze for a while, Jennifer crossed her arms. "And why not? Do you know how many men I heard before, who've said exactly the same to me?" she asked incredulously, but he shook his head once more.
"This before was wrong," he replied and began to walk back to the backdoor to get his things. "And those men obviously hadn't had a girl that meant the world to'em."
Leaning against the doorframe to her garage, she watched him packing his things together. "You're serious, aren't you?" she asked when he came over and stopped in front of her on his way out.
"Yeah," Logan nodded. "Jeannie and I've been through too much shit that I'd rather rod in hell than loosin' her." He gave back and walked over to the front door. "I'd appreciate if ya send Johnny over at six," he added and closed the door behind him, just to heave a deep breath. "Jesus…," he cursed and ran a hand through his face, before he walked back to his house. He frowned a bit, when he saw a foreign car in front of it, but didn't think about it further. All he needed right now was a cold shower, a very cold one, before he'd run into his wife.
"Logan?" he heard her calling from the living room and closed his eyes to let out a curse.
"Yeah?" he asked aloud and waited at the stairs, hoping she wouldn't say anything else.
"Would you come over for a second?"
"Ehm…," he briefly looked around and dropped his tool box on the ground. "I…I actually wanted to shower. Can it wait?"
"No, it can't," came the reply and he closed his eyes cursing. Looking around once more in hope to find something that would help him out of his misery, he finally pulled off his shirt and bound it around his hip to cover up what was obvious. Heaving a deep breath, he briefly checked it in the mirror, before he walked over to the living room. "What…?" he began, just to freeze on the spot. Just in that moment, he felt how the cover up wasn't necessary anymore, because his blood left all of his veins at once and he thought his eyes would pop-out any second. In front of him sat no one else in the white armchair on the right of the table, than Charles Xavier himself, giving him the kindest smile possible as if nothing had happened. If that wasn't a shock enough, his eyes switched to the left sofa after a moment and he just stared at their guests for a moment in silence, before his mind understood who they were. "Get out of my house," he hissed through gritted teeth at the two people on his left.
"Logan…," Jean began calmly and held Ava tight, who had hugged her in fear, since she'd never seen her father being mad at all.
"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" he suddenly barked and entered the room, still glaring at the two persons, who looked at Charles for help.
"Logan," Charles said quietly and raised a hand to soothe the man. "You are not in danger. I know what happened and I deeply regret it. I am only here to talk…"
"You can stay here, Chuck, but I want'em gone within the next five seconds!" Logan hissed through clenched teeth. "They ain't welcome here!"
"We…we wait on the outside," Ororo stuttered and gave Hank a nod. When they got up, being closely watched by Logan, who stared at them like a predator that would jump at them and kill them in an instant, they heard how the front door as opened and a boy stormed into the room.
"Daddy," Johnny said and gave their unfamiliar guests a brief, confused look, before he pulled on his father's hand. "Mrs. Carter told me to bring this over to you. She said you've forgotten it," he explained and held up the screwdriver.
"Put it in the toolbox at the stairs," Logan replied still glaring at them. "I said I want the two of ya out within five seconds," he added with a hiss.
"Who are those people, daddy?" the boy asked and hid behind his legs to take a careful look at the strangers.
"Honey, would you sit down here, please?" Jean said towards her son and patted the spot next to her on the sofa behind the table.
"But Chris is waiting," the boy pouted. "I told him I'd come back soon…"
"You can go back in an instant. It won't take long," his mother replied. "Please sit down for a moment." Reluctantly doing it, the boy sat down next to her and cuddled up to her, since he didn't like the way his father looked at the strangers. The glare he gave them told him that they were bad people. Probably the bad people he'd been often warned about.
"Get…out!" Logan said once more, and Ororo nodded briefly, before she and Hank left the house to wait at the car. "Why did you let them in?" he asked his wife next and gave her a furious look. "After all that happened, after all they've done, you just let them inside our house?!"
"Logan," Charles cut him off. "Please calm down and sit down, will you? Jean didn't want to let them inside. I practically talked her into it."
After he'd walked over to sit down next to Jean, Logan leant back, still with his arms crossed. "And what are you doing here anyway? Last time I saw ya, ya exploded into dozen pieces…"
Chuckling, Charles nodded and bent forward a bit. "And how come ya can walk?!"
"It's not so simple to explain it," the Professor replied. "And I am still not used to it, as I might add."
"And how come that you're sittin' here?" Logan asked next. "If ya think we come back and join the X-Men again, forget! I'm through with'em."
"After what I have heard, of which I might say that I deeply regret it," Charles replied and shook his head. "I don't expect you to do so. Both of you are believed to be dead and I want it to stay that way in order for you and your children to be safe." Smiling he took a look out of the window. "And seeing the weather here, I wouldn't voluntarily go back either."
"Then why are you here?" Jean asked him calmly, still having trouble to look into his eyes.
Shrugging, the Professor leant back and gave the children a warm smile. "After hearing what happened and seeing how the situation under the old and now new President was and is, I wanted to make sure that the two of you are really fine and out of danger."
"What is he taking about, mommy?" Johnny asked her. "Why are daddy and you in danger?"
Before Jean could say something, Charles bent forward and gave him a warm smile. "You know, some bad people were after your parents, but your daddy made sure that your mommy was safe."
"Really?" the boy asked with big eyes.
"Yes, really. But you are not allowed to tell anyone about it, okay?" Charles said. "No one is allowed to know about it!"
"So my daddy is a hero?" Johnny asked and gave his father, who chuckled, a look.
"Something like that," the Professor said smiling. "Do you promise not to talk with anyone about it?" Seeing the eager nod of the boy, he nodded. "Alright."
"Logan!" suddenly someone said and sounded more than happy. Smiling, the addressed got up to hug the woman. "God, it's so good to see you again!" Rogue said and pulled him close. "I miss you guys so much!"
"You alright, kid?" he asked and let go of her.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It had cost me some persuasion before they allowed me to come with them, but…" She shrugged with a smile. "Now I'm here."
Smirking, before he sat down, he gave the car on the outside a dismissive nod. "Ya could have left them at home," he grunted and narrowed his eyes a bit.
"Logan, Ororo and Hank deeply regret what they've done," Charles reminded him, but earned a snort.
"I don't give a damn, Chuck! I'll never forgive'em and they know that," he growled.
Sighing, the Professor nodded. "Did you already talk with your children about it?"
"No," Jean shook her head. "Johnny, why don't you go with your sister and show Aunt Marie your room, hm?" she asked with a forced smile and the boy nodded.
"C'mon!" he said and jumped up, followed by his sister to grab Rogue's shirt. "Why do you wear gloves? Are you cold?"
"Ehm…," the woman began and saw Logan's shake of his head. "…yes. I freeze a lot, you know. So, where're your rooms?" she asked and let herself be dragged to the stairs.
Waiting for them to be gone, Jean sighed. "We don't want them to know until they show a mutation. You know that there's always a change for them to be normal human beings, even if the parents are both mutants."
"But you also know how little that chance is with the two of you as their parents," Charles replied. "Jean, Logan and you have both very strong genes. If Johnny and Ava are not mutants, too…that would be more than a very big surprise."
"We just don't want them to be treated differently," Logan grunted. "Not after what we've been through. We want'em to live like normal children."
"But they'll be shocked when their mutations kick in," he replied.
"They'll be also shocked if we tell them, ya know that."
Nodding slowly, Charles looked out of the window again. "Anyway…"
"You're not here to ask if we sent them over to the school of they show their first powers, are ya?" Logan cut him off. "Because if that's the case…forget it! Neither Jean, or me, or our kids will ever return to that damn continent ever again!"
"I know," Charles tried to soothe him. "I only wanted to offer you my help in case they show their powers."
"How?" Jean asked him.
"I would visit you and stay here for a while," he suggested. "And no, Logan, I am definitely not doing the same mistake again and put barriers into their heads," he added.
"You read my mind!" Logan growled.
"No, I didn't, but knew you would say this," Charles smiled. "I would be glad to be of help, if you need it. Just think about it and let me know."
"Thank you," Jean said calmly and gave Logan a look.
"And there's something else," she heard him saying suddenly and watched how he pulled an envelope out of his jacket. "Since I assumed the two of you would have married, I wanted to give you this as a present." Reaching out, he placed the object in front of them.
Taking it, Jean opened it carefully and looked inside, just to let out a gasp. "That's too much," she said with widened eyes and gave Logan, who looked into it, too, a blank look. "We can't accept this…"
"Jean, you know that you've always been like a daughter to me," Charles said. "I would have made you the same present if you had married at the mansion. Please accept it."
"They'll become suspicious if we put that much into our account," Logan said and gave him a look.
"That's the reason why I have the money with me," the Professor smiled kindly. "Hide it at home and make use of it when you need it."
Still staring at the letter in disbelief, Jean shook her head and got up to hug him crying. "Thank you…," she sniffed and closed her eyes for a moment. "I don't deserve this after…"
"No, Jean…," Charles shook his head and cupped her face. "What happened was all alone my fault. By putting those barriers into your heads, I prevented you from dealing with your true amount of power. If I hadn't done this and hadn't been so afraid of you becoming stronger than me…it would have never happened. Everything that has gone wrong was all my fault. You could have never dealt with your whole power since you never learned about it." He smiled and stroked over her hair. "I can't tell you how proud I am to see that you are doing so fine."
Smiling back, she got up and wiped her tears away. "Logan helped me. I wouldn't have been able to do this without him." Exchanging a loving look with her husband, she sat back down. "How long will you be able to stay?"
"Actually our flight goes back within three hours," Charles said. "They are doing random check-ups on the mansion. They don't know that we're gone, so we have to be back soon." He got up and gave an amused smile. "It is still strange…" Smiling again, he turned around when Rogue came back.
"I love this house, Logan!" she smiled and stopped next to the Professor. "And the two are just too cute."
Joining them, Logan laid a hand around Jean's waist. "Well, they're our kids, ain't they?" he smirked and received a slap from the redhead. "What? They're our cubs, so of course they're cute."
"Don't listen to him," she sighed. "So, you really have to go now?"
"I am afraid so?" Charles nodded. "The number in the letter is a secure line. You can call me anytime without anyone noticing it." He waited for another nod, before he turned around to walk to the door, followed by Jean, Logan and Rogue. "Oh, and here are two presents for your children," he suddenly said and Ororo handed the two packages over to him, not daring to look at her former friends once.
"Thank you, I'm sure they'll freak out as soon as they see them," Jean smiled, ignoring the two other mutants at the car on purpose. Making a step forward, she embraced Charles tightly and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for your help," she said sadly and received a smile.
"Anytime, Jean," he replied and let go of her to shake Logan's hand. "And call as soon as something odd happens or you need help."
"We will, Chuck," Logan nodded and waited for Jean to let go of Rogue, before he hugged her tightly. "Keep an eye on ya, ya hear me?" She nodded and sobbed into his neck.
"Can't believe I am an Aunt now," she sniffed and he quickly wiped her tears away, before placing a kiss on her cheek. "Too bad I won't be seeing them for a long time…"
"Well, if you'd think about doing a year abroad on college," Charles suggested and she turned around with bid eyes. "But you can't of course live with them."
"But I can go visit them!" the woman cheered happily. "Can I?"
"Of course," Jean smiled.
"I am sorry, Charles, but we have to go," Hank intervened and the Professor nodded.
"Remember what I said," Charles said again and Ororo opened the passenger's door for him. "Good bye!"
"See ya," Logan said and pulled Jean close. "Bye, Rogue!"
Sighing, the girl gave him a look. "Marie!"
"Marie," he smiled and watched how they got into the car. He'd noticed the ashamed and apologetic look Hank and Ororo had given them, but he just didn't care. Letting go of Jean when she waved them good-bye, he watched the car until he wasn't able to see it anymore. Wiping her tears away, Jean turned around and handed Logan one package while she took the second. After they'd walked back in and upstairs to look for their children, they watched how they ripped the packages open. "He's spoilin' them," Logan grunted when he saw what Charles had put into them and how his children were complete excited.
"Let them have their fun," Jean tried to soothe him and smiled when Ava hugged her new cuddly toy. "I'm downstairs preparing dinner," she said after a moment and got up.
"Wait, I help ya," he said quickly and followed her. "Is somethin' wrong, by the way?" Logan asked since she began to prepare everything in silence.
"I think you know that," Jean simply said and put four plates onto the table, before she turned around to get four glasses.
"No, I don't," he replied and put the bread basket onto the table.
Sighing, Jean crossed her arms and turned to face him. "Logan,…you never wear yours shirt like this!"
"So?" he asked her with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Do you think I'm stupid or something?!" she asked back, sounding venomously.
Heaving a deep breath, he ran both hands through his face and leant back against the counter. "Jean, nothin' happened…"
"Really?" the redhead asked skeptically and with an angry look.
"God, Jean…," Logan replied a bit louder. "She tried it, okay, but nothin' happened!"
"And that's why you had to use your shirt as a cover, hm?" Jean hissed through gritted teeth. "Because nothing happened?!"
Only rolling his eyes, he turned to get his children from upstairs. During the dinner only their children talked with each other or with their parents, but both adults didn't say one word to each other. After the children lay in bed Logan descended the stairs to find Jean on the sofa downstairs and watching TV. Stopping in the door first, he finally went over and sat down next to her, but she just ignored him. He endured it for some minutes and thought about a way to explain the whole situation to her. "Okay, I reacted to her advances, but still I didn't touch her, kiss her or slept with her, Jean!" he finally said and looked at her from aside.
"But obviously she touched you and you allowed it," Jean shot back through gritted teeth without meeting his gaze.
"Jesus, Jean!" he said and took the remote control from her to switch the TV off. "I told her I'm married to ya, that I love ya and wouldn't risk loosin' ya after all the shit we've been through. What more do ya want me to do?" Noticing that she would just sit there, arms crossed and would give him a pissed look, he shook his head and sighed. "I'm a man, Jean. I'm sorry, but we react a bit more visible that you guys do. I can't say more that I'm sorry and that I should've intervened a bit earlier."
"So you can honestly say that you didn't think once about giving in?" Jean asked and waited for his answer. "Honestly!"
"Yeah, I can. If ya don't believe me, then look for yourself!" he gave back and crossed his arms, too.
Not moving for a moment, she looked into his eyes and suddenly made him jump by touching his right thigh and stroking over it. "Nervous?" she asked him in a strange voice and made him frown. Neither did he understand why she did this all of a sudden, or what she was up to. Looking down, he watched how she stroked higher and his muscles contracted automatically when she switched to his inner thigh. "Did she do this?" she asked in the same odd voice and he began to cock an eyebrow at her. When she stroked further upwards, he grabbed her wrist quickly. "Did you do the same?"
"What is this, Jean?" Logan asked confused. "Did ya control her or somethin'?!"
"Maybe…," she shrugged and withdrew her hand to get up, but he grabbed her wrist again and pulled her back down.
"What?! You controlled her?!" he asked in disbelief and she sighed.
"Of course not!" Jean snapped. "I can't believe you let her touch you like this!"
"I grabbed her wrist, Jean!" Logan defended himself, as she pointed to his belt that was still a bit open. "I stopped her and left. Jesus, when it makes ya feel better give me a slap around…," he began as his head jerked aside and she withdrew her hand again. Rubbing his cheek, he gave her a glare. "Feelin' better now?!" he growled.
"Much better!" she shot back and got up. He only shook his head and leant back with a sigh. He closed his eyes and ran both hands through his face, as something suddenly hit him. Confused he opened his eyes again and only saw how Jean walked back upstairs, while his pillow laid on his lap. "Great!" Logan cursed and put it next to him on the head of the sofa, before he laid down, arms crossed, and closed his eyes to try to sleep.
When he woke up due to sunbeams that shone into his face, he let out a groan. Because of the night he had to spent on the hard sofa, his back hurt like hell and he had trouble to even sit up. Hoping that it would ease the pressure on it a bit, he quickly cracked his neck before he got up and walked over to the kitchen, where Jean sat and read a newspaper. "Where are the kids?" he asked since it was already 10:15 and it was too calm in the house for his taste.
"Out with Miranda," she only sat and turned a page without looking up.
Sighing, he went over and carefully wrapped his arms around her waist. As long as she didn't slap his hands away, he had a chance of apologizing to her. Doing it, he let out a small sigh in relief and dared to lean into her a bit. "I'm really sorry," he whispered and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Jeannie, I'd never cheat on ya and risk loosin' you…" Seeing that she only shrugged, he sighed and let go of her. "Tell me what to do to make up for bein' an ass again," he offered.
"Think about something," Jean only said and sounded rather uninterested, before she got up and walked towards the door. "I'm going to gym and won't be back until 5. Bye."
Watching her leave, Logan ran a hand through his face. Never before had she been that mad with him and he had no idea of how to make friends with her again. Pulling a face, he buried his hands in his jeans and walked out of the backdoor to see if Cap was with his children again.
"Daddy!" Johnny called and ran towards him. "Look what I've found!" he said excited and held up a beautiful looking sea shell.
"That's great," Logan smiled and stroked over his son's dark and unruly hair. "Why don't ya show it mommy later?" Nodding eagerly, the boy ran past him to put the shell onto the counter. Leaning against the beam of the terrace, he watched how Johnny joined Ava and Miranda again. He was glad that the children hadn't noticed that their parents had a fight. One rule Jean and he had made was that they would never fight in front of their children, no matter how serious it was. Again, he thought hard about how to make up to his wife again, as he suddenly had an idea. "Miranda?" he called and walked over to the young woman. "Would ya do me a favor?"
"Sure," she shrugged and looked at him attentively.
"Ehm, could the kids stay at your place until 8?" Logan asked her carefully. "Jean and I had a fight and I don't want them to notice it before we're fine again."
"Yeah, I know, Miranda nodded and he cocked an eyebrow at her. "That was pretty obvious from her mood in the morning. But no problem. Just think about something nice!" Flashing him a smile she turned again to go on playing with the children.
"Thanks," he said after a moment and walked back inside to shower, before he took his bike and drove off.
Not at 5, but at 5:30, Jean got out of the car and closed the door, before she walked over to the front door and got inside. When she turned, after dropping her back on the ground, she couldn't help but frown. Small candles led upstairs and she followed the trace skeptically, which led her to the bathroom, where a hot bath was awaiting her. Around and in the tub where red rose leafs and a small card rested on the edge, saying in Logan's unmistakable writing that he was really sorry. "I hope it's not cold already…," a voice suddenly said behind her and the redhead turned around. "You said five…"
Shrugging, Jean got rid off her jacket and dropped it to the ground. "Maybe I met a nice man…," she state and he sighed.
"Jean…"
"So,…you think this makes up for what you've done, hm?" she asked him and sat down on the edge to put a hand into the still warm water.
"Well, if it doesn't then I don't know what else to do," Logan shrugged and closed the door behind him. "The kids are with Miranda until 8 by the way."
Nodding, she took the card into her hand and looked at it briefly, before she put it back onto the edge. "It would have been nicer if you've used leafs onto the stairs, too, you know…," she said and he tilted his head a bit to see her amused smirk. Growling, he leapt forward and gave her a push that she landed fully clothed in the tub with a squeal, before he landed in it, too, due to the impact and water splashed into the ground. "You, pig, Logan!" Jean scolded him and looked at the mess. "It's you who cleans this mess!"
"Jean…," he grunted and grabbed her neck roughly. "Shut up!" Hearing her laugh, he pulled her into a rough kiss and began to free her from the soaked clothing. It didn't take long and his joined hers on the wet ground, before he showed her how sorry he actually was.
Later, after the children already lay in bed and were asleep, Jean came out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, where she found Logan at the window and looking out onto the ocean. After she closed the door behind her, she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, before she leant into him and closed her eyes. Remaining there for a while, both enjoyed the feeling of having the partner so close, as Jean suddenly looked up. "Do you want to have more children by the way?" she asked and made him turn around with a frown.
Thinking about it for a moment, Logan shrugged. "Depends on you…"
She took his waistband into her hands and began to play with it. "I'd like to have more…," she said calmly and went on playing with his boxers. "…soon…," Jean added and looked up a bit to see that he had an eyebrow cocked.
"So ya wanna try and make one tonight?" Logan asked slightly surprised about her sudden wish. If he thought that they had a fight only hours before, than surprised was a big understatement, but she shook her head.
"No…"
"No?" he asked completely confused now. "I thought ya said soon?! So why not?"
Shrugging, she bit her lip and raised her head again after she'd lowered it. "Because we don't have to," Jean simply said in a calm voice and waited for a reaction.
Only standing in front of her for a while, he tried to figure out what she meant by it. He stared with a blank expression into her face first, before he began to frown and looked at her belly, just to look back into her eyes again. "You're…?" Logan began and she nodded while she still waited for his reaction to the news. "So, we gonna have…"
"A third child. Yes," Jean replied, still not quiet sure what to think about his reaction. "Okay?" she asked carefully, as he suddenly shook his head, let go of her and walked over to the bed to sit down. Watching him for a while, Jean suddenly felt scared, sad and unsure at the same time. She had expected a lot but not this. "I thought you wanted more, too?" she asked him carefully and came a bit closer.
"Yeah…," Logan nodded, but without looking up.
"Then why are you not happy now?" Jean asked him and instinctively put a hand onto her still flat belly when he looked up with furrowed brows.
"Not happy?!" he asked as if she was out of her mind. "I could hug the world!"
"Well, you don't look like that…"
Seeing that she looked scared and unsure, he reached out. "Come here," Logan said and she took his hand. "Just check my pulse and you'll understand!" he offered and laid back down to run a hand through his face.
After doing so, it was her who gave him a surprised look. "Oh…," was all she said after noticing how fast his heart actually beat.
"Do ya have a scan?" he suddenly asked and sat up again.
"No, I only made a test so far since I was late and felt sick in the past days," Jean replied when he wrapped his arms around her waist to rest his chin on her belly.
"We really gonna have a third kid?" Logan asked while looking up and still not believing his luck.
"If everything goes fine…," she shrugged and ran her hands through his hair.
"It will," he smiled optimistically and pulled her onto his lap to kiss her passionately. "God, I love ya, woman," Logan mumbled between caressing her lips.
"Do you?" Jean purred and pushed him back down. "I thought my hubby was interested into a specific blonde bitch."
"Are ya kiddin'?" he asked her with a chuckle. "Definitely not."
"I hope so," Jean purred and bent down to kiss him again, when he suddenly cupped her face.
"I wanna have twins," he said determined and made her laugh.
"Do I have to remind you that it is me who has to give birth to them, mister?" she asked and crossed her arms while straddling him. "And that it is me who has to carry the extra weight?"
Chuckling, Logan sat up and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Well, and it's me who has been so nice to give you massages for your back, who's carried your things or you if necessary and it was mine hand that was nearly crushed by you, while you gave birth to Ava!"
Nodding playfully, Jean gave him a skeptical look. "And it's me who has a hard time getting rid of the extra weight again," she gave back when he gave her a smug grin.
"Well…," Logan purred and slowly turned them around so that he was on top. "I know a thing that could be helpful, darlin', you know…"
Laughing when he began to nib on her neck, Jean wrapped her arms around his neck, "You know…that's exactly the thing that leaves us now with the question where to put another baby."
"Babies," he mumbled into her neck.
"You don't know that," she scolded him playfully when he looked at her.
"Yeah, I do," he gave back. "I wanna have babies, so it's gonna be babies!"
Shrugging, she tilted her head again to give him a better access to her neck. "Then start thinking about where to put babies, Jean suggested.
9 months later, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters
"Professor!" Ororo said and walked into Charles office, while the man sat behind his desk, Hank, Rogue and some other of the new X-Men sitting in front of him. "There's a letter for you. But without and address on it of who has sent it," she told him and handed the letter over. "The stamp says it's been sent from Asia."
"Asia?" he asked confused and looked at the letter from all sides before he opened it. Closely watched by the other X-Men, they saw how he read through a letter and suddenly smiled.
"Who is it from, Professor?" Rogue asked him, hoping she didn't sound too curious.
"I think you of all people should look for yourself, Rogue," Charles smiled and handed the letter over to her. "It was an intelligent way of them to send it over from another country…"
"Intelligent from whom?" Hank asked confused as Rogue suddenly cheered.
"Jeez, are they cute!" Rogue smiled excited and had jumped up from her chair.
"Who?" Bobby asked her and took the picture, which she held in her right hand, from her quickly. Frowning he looked at it, before he turned it around and read what was written in the back of it: Julian Michael Grey and June Vanessa Grey, born August 1 at 3:44 a.m. "Grey?" he asked a bit confused. "Dr. Grey?"
"You're stupid," Rogue scolded him and took the picture from him. "Who else?" Looking at the picture again she smiled happily. Now she really couldn't wait any longer for her year abroad and meet the two new babies. She only wished January would come soon…
The End
Okay, that was my Sequel to Love and Pain. I hope you guys liked it. Please review and let me know what you think. ; ) I am currently working on the next Changes Chapter and a complete new story. See ya!