Ororo, please come to my office, the Professor called to her.
Yes, Professor, she responded, walking back into her room and heading to her mentor's office.
It's been three weeks since Logan left on his mission with no word from him. School had begun again and she was thankful for the distraction but the nights and weekends were a test for her. She found herself spending more and more time out on her balcony, her eyes trained on the horizon, hoping to see a helicopter approaching. She knew it wasn't healthy but she couldn't help herself. When he left, he took her smile with him and she had struggled to find it again in his absence.
It was Friday afternoon and as she headed to the Professor's office, she passed the rec room and saw the children engaging in various activities. Jean and Rogue were talking in the corner while texting; Kitty and Kurt were in another corner where she was attempting to show him some dance moves; and Scott and Evan were battling on the GameStation X. She smiled slightly and continued on to her destination.
Knocking softly, she entered when she heard the Professor's voice.
"Hello, Professor," she replied, looking from him to his guests.
"Hello, my dear. Thank you for coming on such short notice. I would like for you to meet," he began, indicating the man who was standing and turning to face her.
"T'Challa," she finished for him.
"Um, yes. King T'Challa, the ruler of the Wakanda," the Professor replied, intrigued that she knew him.
"King?" Ororo replied, slowly recovering from her shock at seeing him again. He's a King, she thought.
"It is a pleasure to see you again, Ororo," T'Challa greeted her, walking toward her and holding out his hand. Reluctantly, she gave him hers and he lifted it to his lips, kissing it gently, "How have you been?"
"Well and yourself?"
"I'm better now," he replied.
Ignoring the statement, Ororo asked, "Are you going to introduce us to your companion?"
"Oh, how rude of me, this is my nephew, Luke. Luke, this is Professor Xavier and this is Ms. Ororo," T'Challa told them. Luke shook hands with the Professor and then walked over to join his uncle in front of Ororo.
"You were right, uncle. She is beautiful," Luke said, taking Ororo's hand and kissing it.
"Thank you," she said, removing her hand from his grasp, "Now that introductions are done, what do we owe the pleasure of your presence here with us, King T'Challa?"
"Shall we sit? There is much I would like to discuss with you and the Professor," he said.
"Let's sit here," the Professor said, indicating the table in the corner with seats enough for everyone.
Logan entered the mansion, tired and surly. That was a fuckin' waste of time, he thought, turning the corner and colliding with Hank.
"Heavens, Logan. You startled me. Are you just returning from your mission?" Hank asked.
"Yeah," Logan replied gruffly, "Next time watch where ya going."
"My apologies, my friend. Since you're here, I should tell you we have a few visitors in the mansion. The older gentleman says he's a friend of you and Ororo's."
"Really? Does this "friend" of ours have a name?"
"Yes. I believe he said his name was T'Challa."
What the fuck was he doing here? Logan thought, his hands becoming fists. "And where is he now?"
"I believe the King is in the Professor's office."
"Did you say King?"
"Yes, as in the King of Wakanda, an African county that boarders Kenya I believe," Hank replied, "Oh well. Welcome home. I'm heading to the lab."
Logan growled, heading straight for the Professor's office. His nose confirmed the "visitor's" presence and a familiar one. He opened the door.
T'Challa stopped speaking when the door opened.
Ororo looked up and gasped, "Logan." All she wanted to do was run to him and throw herself in his arms but she knew it was not appropriate. He met her eyes briefly before turning his eyes to T'Challa who sat a bit too close to his woman.
"Logan, it's good to see you. Please join us," Charles said, motioning for him to come in.
Walking deeper into the room, Logan's eyes fell on Ororo. He had missed her and wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms but he sensed that this was a business meeting and he knew that PDA would be inappropriate.
"Same here, Charles. Ororo," Logan said, pulling up a chair from in front of the desk and placing it between the Professor and Ororo.
"Welcome home, Logan," she replied, her voice wavering a bit, betraying her emotional state. He looked at her with concern and saw the tear in her eye that she quickly blinked away. Feeling eyes on him, Logan looked over at T'Challa, who frowned openly at his presence.
Not in the mood for pleasantries and beating around the bush, Logan cut to the chase. "What ya doing here, T'Challa?"
"Nimekuja kuona Ororo," he replied, knowing it will get a rise out of him. *Translation – I came to see Ororo.*
"Like hell ya did," Logan growled warningly, glaring at him. Ororo placed her hand on his arm.
"Logan, please calm down. King T'Challa is our guest and should be treated as such," the Professor told him. Logan, if anything happens to the King while he is in our home, it will cause an international situation that our team is not prepared to handle. So I expect you as one of the team leaders to show the King the proper respect. Do I make myself clear? the Professor said telepathically.
Crystal but check this out. Logan sent the Professor the memory of the fight that showed him and T'Challa battling for the prize money and the memory of their confrontation in front of Ororo. So you see, Chuck. He's here for one reason only – Ro and that ain't happening. So whatever reason he gave you is just a cover for that. Mark my words.
"Charles, is everything okay?" T'Challa asked, sensing that Charles and Logan were engaged in a telepathic conversation.
"My apologies, Your Highness. I just needed to share some information with Logan. Please continue."
"I've come to speak with the Professor regarding the establishment of an exchange program between the Institute and my country Wakanda. I think there is much we could learn from one another," he began, "Additionally, since the Institute has such fine faculty, maybe members of the staff would be willing to come and train our staff."
"Translation, you want to be able to spend time here so that you can pursue Ro and have Ro come to Wakanda so that you woe her with all your riches, does that sum it up?" Logan replied.
"Logan!" Ororo gasped, looking at him with shocked eyes.
"Logan, if you will not allow the King to speak without interruption, I will have to ask you to leave," the Professor told him.
"No need. Come on, Ro," Logan said, taking her hand.
"Professor, please excuse us a moment," she said, getting to her feet and following Logan out the door.
"That was extremely rude, Professor Xavier," T'Challa remarked, angry at Logan's summation and treatment of Ororo, "Insubordination like that should not be tolerated!"
"Your highness, I assure you that Logan is a professional and is very good at what he does. He's just rough around the edges."
Outside, Logan embraced Ororo tightly, covering her mouth with his own. At that point, he didn't care who saw them.
Pulling away to catch their breath, he noticed the tears that had fallen from her eyes.
"Baby…" he began but was stopped by her kiss.
"I've missed you so," she whispered against his lips.
"Yeah, me too," he said, touching his forehead to hers, "Let's go upstairs so we can finish what we started."
"As much as I would love to, we can not. We have to finish this meeting with T'Challa."
"We?" he said, taking a step back.
"Yes, we. We are the senior instructors of the school and the head of the Team. If there is to be an exchange program, we need to be involved from the very beginning."
"Ro, I'm telling you, this is just a ploy created by T'Challa to get next to you."
"And if it is, then time will tell. Until then, my love, we have a job to do," she told him, closing the distance between them and wrapping her arms around his neck, "Now, the sooner we are done here, the sooner we can finish what you started on Christmas." She kissed him quickly and then dropped her arms, taking his hands in hers.
Logan caressed her left hand and when he didn't feel the ring, he looked down and back up at her for an explanation.
"I'll explain later. Now, let's go back in."
"So as you can see, Charles, this will be a great opportunity for all parties involved," T'Challa concluded.
"I can see the potential but there are still many questions that need to be addressed."
"Which I'm sure we can work out in time. We should convene a committee to do a thorough exploration of the possibilities of this proposal," T'Challa suggested, his eyes falling on Ororo.
"A good suggestion, but before we establish a committee, I think it would be a good idea if you and Luke spent a few days at the Institute to gain a better understanding what it is we do," Charles told him.
"Splendid idea," T'Challa responded a smile gracing his handsome face.
"Ororo, would you do the honors of showing our guests around and helping them settle into their room?" Charles asked her.
"Sorry, but Ororo has some things she needs to do," Logan replied for her, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
"Logan, while I'm sure she does, I'm also sure that Ororo can speak for herself," the Professor responded. Don't worry my friend. I have a plan, Charles told Logan telepathically, so I need your cooperation.
"I would be happy too, Professor," Ororo replied, looking over at Logan with concerned eyes before turning her gaze and smile on their guests, "Shall we?"
"We shall," T'Challa replied, smirking at Logan as he got to his feet.
Logan, determined to make sure his woman was okay, got to his feet and turned just as he heard the Professor call his name.
Tempted to ignore him, Logan felt a soft touch on his arm. He looked over at Ororo. She leaned in and kissed his cheek gently, whispering in his ear. Pulling away, she touched his cheek before walking out the door being held open by T'Challa.
"Charles, if I told ya he was pursuing her, why would ya send her out with him like a lamb to the slaughter?" Logan asked angrily, whirling around to face his mentor.
"I hardly think of Ororo as a lamb and this situation as one where I was sending her to the slaughter," the Professor replied, heading to his desk.
"Then why her?"
"Because Logan, you just got back from a 3 week long mission and you and T'Challa are not on very good terms," Charles told him, "And because if there is something amiss as you say then Ororo's the key to unlocking the mystery. I've informed her of my plans and she had agreed to them."
"So what do you expect me to do, sit back and watch as this King makes moves on my fiancée?"
"Fiancée? When did this happen?" Charles said, pleasantly surprised.
"Christmas morning before I left," he replied, wanting the conversation to end so he could go after them.
"That's excellent news! Though I haven't been looking, I don't believe I have seen a ring," Charles said, fishing.
"I got her a ring. She hasn't worn it," Logan replied, pacing.
"Logan, I can see how you would be upset about this whole thing."
"Ya think?" he replied sarcastically, stopping to look at him.
"But if we do not spend time studying him as he studies us, how will we know what we're up against?" Charles asked him, "You of all people know how important it is to know what you're up against before you strike."
"Yeah, so?"
"So look at this as a recon mission where Ororo is gathering information on a potential threat. All you have to do is to stay calm for the next few days," Charles said, looking up at him, "Do you think you can do that?"
"I ain't making ya no promises," Logan said, turning and leaving the Professor's office.
After introducing Luke to Evan and the others, Scott suggested that he hang out with the kids, thus leaving T'Challa in her care.
She took him on a tour of the mansion, beginning with the recreation room. As they walked, she told him about the Institute and its mission. She explained Xavier's vision and how they worked toward making it a reality. She told him how many of the students came to the Institute and how they considered themselves a family and how though they got on each other's nerves sometimes, they still cared and looked out for each other.
She took him through the dining room, into the kitchen, then out to the patio and the pool. After explaining that the patio was a favorite place for martial arts training, she led him to the garden and greenhouse. He showed interest in the greenhouse and was sadden to hear that she had very little plant life native to their homeland. After a short discussion on the plants and vegetable garden, she took him down to the lake and walked with him along the trial in the woods. They took a break and sat on the bench in the clearing where many of the team would go to be alone.
"Ororo, may I ask you a question?" he said, sitting next to her.
"Of course."
"How did you end up at the Institute?" he asked.
"The Professor came to me with an offer I could not refuse," she replied.
"If you don't mind me asking, what was the offer?"
"The simple answer to that question is he offered me an opportunity to learn how to use the gift I had been given to help others. In return, he asked that I assist him in "raising" and training the students who had begun arriving at the mansion," she replied.
"So you are a surrogate mother to the children?"
"In a way, yes."
"What about a family of your own?" he asked, "Don't you want to be a mother one day?"
"Yes, I do and I am sure it will happen in due time. But until then, I will continue to do what I have come to love, training and teaching the children here at the Institute."
"But are you satisfied with this life? I mean, it seems you have settled here, denying yourself a life where you could be happily married and be a mother to children born from your own womb."
"And be at the beck and call of a domineering husband who would suppress who I am? To only be his wife, possibly one of many?" she asked, fighting to remain calm.
"Would that be so wrong? You are a beautiful woman who deserves to be placed on a pedestal and treated as a queen," T'Challa argued.
"I've been there and done that. Do you know what happens when a person on a pedestal?" she asked him, turning to face him.
"The person is worshipped and put above everyone else," he told her, turning to face her.
"Yes. Before I came here, I was worshipped as a goddess because of my mutant abilities. But because of that worship, I was denied the one thing that I longed for the most," she said.
"What was that?"
"My humanity. Though I have special gifts, I am yet human but those around me at the time failed to see that," she told him, getting to her feet, "I have endured negative treatment since the time of my parents' death due to the color of my skin, the color of my hair, my blue eyes, and my mutant abilities. When the Professor came to me, he offered me a chance at a life where I would be accepted regardless of my mutation and my outer appearance. I would be seen and accepted as the person I was. So, to answer your question, I am where I need to be. The question is, T'Challa, if this the place you need to be."
She took a deep breath to calm herself. She looked up at the sky and waved her hand, putting it back the way that it was. She was thankful that she had suppressed her anger. Otherwise, Logan would be there and it would not be good.
Suddenly missing him fiercely, Ororo turned to T'Challa. "I'm sorry, but I need to end the tour and return to the mansion. I will show you the rest of the mansion tomorrow," she told him.
"Okay," he replied, getting to his feet and falling in step with her as she headed back to the mansion. He noticed that she walked faster, seemingly in a hurry to return. In a hurry to get to that animal, he thought, angrily.
They arrived back at the mansion in no time. Ororo showed him to the guest room on the boy's wing.
"I'm sorry if I angered you with our discussion," he said as she turned to leave, "I promise to do better tomorrow." With her hand on the door knob, she looked back at him and nodded before stepping out, closing the door softly behind her.
Ororo made her way to her room. She was tired and hungry from spending the afternoon with T'Challa. Opening her door, she was pleasantly surprised to find Logan asleep in her bed. Locking the door behind her, she silently made her way to the bathroom, knowing he had awaken the moment she turned the door knob.
Ignoring him, she went about disrobing and turning on the water in the shower. She wasn't surprised when she felt his arm going around her waist and him nuzzling her neck.
"What took so long?" he asked, his voice muffled by her skin.
"The mansion is a large place, love, or have you forgotten?" she asked turning to face him, meeting him eye to eye. Without shoes, they were nearly the same height, him taller by a few centimeters.
"No, and I haven't forgotten this either," he replied, taking her hand. She stilled his movements by reaching back and turning off the water, not wanting to waste the hot water. She followed him and sat on the bed as he instructed.
"Ah know this ain't the most romantic way to do this but I wanted to give you the rest of your Christmas gifts." Logan reached over and pulled out the long black box that Ororo had not touched since Christmas when she put her ring back in the box, determined to wait until Logan's return.
She watched as he opened it and pulled out three smaller boxes, including her ring box.
"I saw this in the mall and thought it was the perfect complement to your beautiful eyes," he told her, kneeling in front of her and handing her the box.
She opened it and gasped at the sight of the blue diamond drop necklace with matching earrings.
"Logan…" she began and he silenced her with a kiss.
"Now, I asked you once but you didn't keep it on, so I guess I have to do it all over again," he began, kneeling again and removing the blue diamond ring from the box, "Ororo Munroe, you complete me. You are my best friend, my confidant, my insatiable lover, and my equal. I love you more and more every day and if you will let me, I will like to become your husband. Will you marry me?"
Hearing pitter patter, Logan looked up and saw that a gentle rain fell on the balcony. Looking into the face of the woman he loved, he wiped the tears from her face and waited for her reply.
"Yes, Logan. I will marry you," she replied, her voice strong.
A smile creased his face as he took her in his arms and walked into the bathroom. He set her down so that he could turn on the water. When it was ready, he helped her in and joined her, finally finishing what they started on Christmas morning.
That evening at dinner, the happy couple made the announcement. Cheers and whistles erupted and the girls rushed over to see the ring. They oohhhed and aaahhhed over it as the men gathered around Logan, congratulating him. T'Challa and Luke, not really a part of the festivities, stood back and shared a glance, an unspoken message shared between them.
Later that night, T'Challa spoke into a secure SAT phone.
"Is it ready?"
"Yes, your majesty. We completed it a week ahead of schedule."
"Good because the timetable has changed. I will be returning with the package sooner than expected. Have the security team ready when I arrive," he replied.
"As you request, you excellency. When will you be arriving?"
"In two days. Until then my friend," T'Challa replied, disconnecting the call.
"Everything is ready. We begin at dawn on Sunday," T'Challa told his nephew who nodded.