Wolverine and company ch 6
XXXXXXXXX
Vanessa's POV
All day long I couldn't shake the gift from my mind.
I hadn't seen Logan since yesterday afternoon, before he gave me the present, and after he left the sweet little bear with the even sweeter little note on my bed, I've been tossing and turning all night and all day trying to figure it out. I don't know why though; if you ask me it was pretty straightforward.
Jean is wrong. I'm not ungrateful and I'm glad you're the mother of my child.
Jesus those words kept playing and replaying over and over again in my head. Along with the cuteness and the plush ness of that adorable teddy bear that was gently placed in that box.
Why oh why?
Why did Logan have to be so sweet? He was my sworn enemy for Christ's sake; he wasn't supposed to do things like this. He was supposed to rip up any dolls I might have collected for the baby because he thought it was obscenely ugly. He wasn't supposed to give them to me!
I could feel a fresh new headache surfacing my mind as I continued to contemplate and meanwhile angry customers tried to flag me down for my attention.
"Excuse me, Ms!" Someone was a little testy. I wasn't standing there that long was I?
Snapping out of my trance, I turned to look at the customer with a blank stare, now partially warm beer bottle almost slipping through my hands. "I ordered that beer 10 minutes ago, are you just going to stand there all day or are you going to give it to me?"
He looked pissed, like he was going to flip a lid because his beer was a little warm and honestly I couldn't blame him; there was nothing more I hated myself than a warm beer. But in all fairness he could cut me a little slack here. I was the one who had to think about one of my worst enemies, who just happened to be the father of my child, giving me an adorable gift. These are hard times you jerk; don't test me.
My emotions ran high however and I got angrier than I honestly should have in the situation (considering it was my fault) so I slammed the beer hard on the table right in front of him, causing the bottle to crack and a minor flow of beer to run down the table.
"There" I snapped, sarcastic gleam in my eyes never leaving his furious ones. "Happy? Nice and hot, just the way you like it."
He glared hard at me as I leaned over to give him one of those infamous smirks of mine and before I had a chance to through him a wink and turn around the little bastard slapped the drink away from himself, knocking the bottle to the table and spilling beer all over me.
"Bitch" he retorted and I jumped back trying to avoid any further alcohol to spill on my clothes.
"Hey!" I cried furiously, prepared to sock the jerk right in his face but as the fluid clung to my already tight black shirt, I was reminded of the "delicate" condition I was currently in, and refrained from doing to. I resorted to glaring daggers at him instead and clenching my fists tighter and tighter to hold back the punch that was threatening to come out.
"What are you gonna do about it Ms. Prissy." He taunted me and my fists clenched even tighter. "Punch me? Go on, lay it on me, I'd like to see you try"
The beer incident seemed to cause somewhat of a riot amongst the customers in the bar. That plus the fact that I hadn't really filled a single order properly since the start of my shift made for some angry customers I suppose, so instantly they began shouting, yelling and crying obscenities and complaints about their drinks or what just happened.
"Lay off jerk" I growled but he didn't seem to give a damn for he stood up out of his chair and towered over me, clenching his own fists.
"You know you're cute, for a bitch and all. It's just to bad you don't understand your place in the world as a woman…under a man."
That was it. My fist had enough containment and I railed back to land a good solid one right in his nose but I suddenly found my fist in the hand of someone else. That someone else grabbing hold of my arm as well and dragging me to the back room.
I didn't bother to look and see who it was, instead my frustration from not being able to punch the asshole took over and I resorted to yelling obscenities at him instead, as the customers at the bar rioted and I was being hauled toward the back.
It wasn't until I was behind the swinging doors however, after mumbling the final name call, "Jerk", did I realize it was my boss who had grabbed me, with a rather unpleasant look on her face.
Oh shit. I'm in trouble.
"Vanessa, what the hell is going on out there?"
I quickly regained my composure. One thing about my boss, as cool as she was, was that she could smell fear from a mile away. And if someone feared her, it most likely meant they were hiding something.
"What do you mean what's going on out there?" I asked back and I tried to readjust my shirt. The damn spilled alcohol was making it easier to see my tiny baby bump; crap. "Didn't you see that asshole, he spilled his drink on me."
"Yeah, right after you took ten minutes to give it to him, and then slam it down on the table at that."
Oh shit, she saw that? Ew, I was in big trouble. But I didn't let my worriment read across my face; instead I gave her a flat look. "What, so you're taking his side?"
She sighed. "The customer is always right Vanessa." Ah so what, he was an asshole, saying I belonged under a man; I should've kicked him in the balls for that one. "And even if he was wrong you know our motto; Daisy's girls' are sweet like flowers and spicy like bees, but we never…"
"Sting" I finished dryly for her, wringing out the rest of my shirt. Stupid motto; who made that crap up anyway?
"That's right" she said and now it was my turn to sigh.
"Fine" I vouched with two fingers. "I won't let it happen again—"
"Vanessa that's not all I needed to talk to you about"
I suddenly froze in my tracks and regretted it right after. I was worried that she knew of my secret and if she didn't know now, she'd probably find out soon anyway. It was a growing task to try and hide my small but growing belly what with our uniform being tight revealing clothing and all; I wondered if she had noticed.
"What else did you need to talk to me about?" I tried to hide my worriment; I was scared she was seeking me out.
"Vanessa…"she began. I could have sworn I saw her eyes divert to my stomach briefly; or maybe I was being self-conscious. "Vanessa, is there something you need to tell me? Something going on with you? You're acting differently."
Of course I was acting differently. I was pregnant with my enemy's child and hormones are raging through my body, what do you expect? Well you know, not like it's any of your business anyway. "What are you talking about, I'm fine"
Dear God I am the single worst liar on the entire planet; Ray Charles could see right through that one.
Her perfectly shaped eyebrow crept up her smooth for head. "Are you now?" she asked me and I was growing more tense as the seconds passed on. I had a feeling she knew. "You snap at everything with two legs than turn around and smile at them three seconds later, you haven't consumed an ounce of alcohol in weeks which is to say the least, oddly strange coming from you—"
Ugnuh, don't mention the alcohol withdrawal; slowly but surely I was dying inside.
"You've been picking fights with your coworkers more often" she continued. "Escaping outside every 20 minutes or so to do God knows what and you haven't worn a halter to work in a month."
Well damn, what are you anyway? My boss or a secret agent?
"So I'll ask you again Vanessa" she began, once I reviewed her list of observances. "Is anything wrong?"
Now would be the moment. Now would be the moment to come right out and say it; I was pregnant. I couldn't hide it any longer and it would only get worse as time pressed on and I got bigger and bitchier. After all, I figured for maternity leave and all, my boss should have a fair chance at a pre-warning, to work around schedules and everything but something inside me just didn't want to tell her; I had a feeling maternity leave wasn't in my options of leave of absence.
I remember the last person that worked here who got knocked up. She told the boss lady up front and worked a couple of shifts in her first trimester, but then came the day when some drunk bastard had one to many drinks and found her to be a rather appealing punch bag. And well, to make a long story short, she got banged up, the baby was lost and my boss found herself with a difficult lawsuit on her hands.
Eventually the charges were dropped but after suffering through financial crisis's for a while my boss concluded that she had one word of advice for those who found themselves pregnant and working here; quit. And I just wasn't ready for that yet.
I stared her dead in the eye. Something about that look I swear; it read to me that she already had a pretty good idea what was going on, but I still chose to deny it; I still hoped she didn't know.
"Vaness—"
"No nothing's wrong" I suddenly cut her off. "I'm fine"
Turning around to head back to my shift, her words cut me off once more and I knew then that I was done for.
"Vanessa, you don't have to hide it from me; I already know."
Shit.
Double shit.
Stupid, effin', retarded, why-oh-why, crappy shit.
How'd she know? I hadn't spilled to anyone except Christy but she was my best friend, she wouldn't spill. Could boss lady really be that observant?
"Know wha—"
"Wendy told me Vanessa. She said she over heard you and Christy talking about it and she knows and I know and hell almost everyone knows…you're pregnant."
That made me fume inside. Stupid little wench! Who gave that filthy slut bag permission to rat on me! I've never done anything to her, why would she— oh I swear, when I get my hands on that little neck of hers I'm gonna—
"Vanessa you know how I feel about my staff being pregnant on the job."
I snapped out of my rage to address her now. Yeah I know, so is this the part where I get fired now?
I sighed. "I know Mary. But I was only gonna work here until I was about 4 or 5 months, then I was gonna—"
She shook her head pitifully. "I'm sorry Vanessa but I can't."
"Well what if I worked the back room?" I offered. "Stock management and number crunching."
Again she shook her head and I sighed hard. This freaking sucks. I could feel a wave of tears coming on.
"Vanessa, I'm sorry. I'm happy for you, I really am, but I can't take the risk of what happened the last time."
"I'll lay low." I bargained. "I don't think I'm that confrontational."
Now she gave me a flat look. "Vanessa you almost fought a customer for giving him his drink late. That's not confrontational?"
My feet shuffled. All right, all right, no need to get personal.
"Vanessa I'm sorry" she continued. "But I just can't have it. Not after the last time and the last thing I would ever want to do is put you and your baby in danger. Maybe you can come back once the kid is born and you—"
I angrily punched the wall, cutting her off and scaring the shit out of her, turning my face away so she couldn't see my tears.
"Fuck you Mary" was all I could utter before slamming my name tag on the floor and grabbing my purse and keys, exiting the still rioting bar while silent tears spilled down my cheeks.
Fired.
I couldn't believe I was fired.
After all I did for this place. After all the hours I put in, after all the times I came in on late nights, early mornings and covered for vacationers and sick employees. After all the loyal commitment I put in and gracious tips I shared to keep the place up and running. I forked over my money for that bitch to keep the place when she was facing foreclosure. And she fired me!
And for what anyway? Cause I was knocked up? Because I was bringing a child into this world she repays me by firing me? What a bitch.
I hated her! I hated this job! I hated this place! And I hated this city!
Furiously stalking toward my car, I opened up the door and threw my purse inside, prepared to hop in and drive off but I figured I was far to angry to drive so I paused suddenly and tried to breathe instead; I read that breathing slowly and counting to ten was a good way to calm down.
I inhaled slowly. 1…2…3…4… I don't think this is working.
I exhaled. 5…6…7…8 I was still angry.
I inhaled again. 9…10…
And that's when it happened; again, for the second time in the passed month; I broke down crying.
Once again it wasn't the trivial, tear jerker here, or the small ripple of sniffles there; it was the works. Tears spilling, face crumpled and red, cheeks distorted, and sobs emitting was the type of crying I experienced now and I plopped into the driver's seat of my car and buried my face in my hands to let it all out.
That stupid bitch, how could she fire me! Doesn't she know what this job means to me? God I hated her!
Crying even harder I wailed into my hands while hearing the small shuffle of a pair of feet, making their way over to me.
Oh great, this is exactly what I needed now; on lookers.
As the feet slowly shuffled closer and closer, I didn't bother to look up and see who it was but I swore if they mentioned one word to me I would let um' have it. Though I could use some comforting right now (maybe from a pint of ice cream) the last thing I absolutely wanted to go through was some stranger bothering me and asking me if I was all right.
The feet suddenly stopped in front of me, pausing to stare most likely as I cried my eyes out. I suddenly felt like a freak show sitting their crying while the stranger watched, not saying a word until about four minutes later when I felt a rather strong finger, poke me on my shoulder.
Ouch, that was a hard poke; I think I know that poke.
"You look like you need a smoke kid" the stranger said.
I think I know that voice too.
Tearing my head away from my hands, I lifted my soggy face to look up at the stranger only to find, it wasn't a stranger at all; it was Logan.
Flabbergasted he was standing there in front of me, I shook off the curiosity of why he was here or why he chose now to address me about whatever the hell he was here for and I stood up and embraced him instead, crying into his shoulder rather than my arms.
Once again Logan found the worst yet the best time to show up; worst because I was still confused about the present and I hated him but best because I needed some comfort and a shoulder to cry on.
He put his hands around me awkwardly and allowed me to cry on his shoulder and again I let it all out, soaking the top half of his shirt.
I know he's gonna' get me for that later.
"What happened now Vanessa?" he seemed to ask dryly, but I could detect a hint of concern in there. I sniffled harder into his shirt. After tonight you're gonna need a new one buddy; it was getting soaked.
"Shhhiiifirrredme" I mumbled into his shoulder and I could feel his eyebrow raising up his for head.
"What?"
I calmed myself as best I could and quit my sobbing for two minutes to lean up and look him in the eye, sniffling the boogies back into my nose. He looked disgusted.
"She fired me" I repeated, the pain and heartache of the action suddenly resurfacing and bringing about more tears. Beginning to sob again I leaned back in on his shoulder and wailed more tears into his shirt.
I could tell Logan was still confused, as I know I didn't give him many details to work with and he now patted me awkwardly on the back; it was a step down from the awkward hug.
"Who fired you?" he asked. "You're boss?"
Well that was a dumb question, of course my boss fired me! It certainly wasn't one of my snot-nosed co-workers. But instead of snapping this to him I just wailed into his shirt again. "Yes!" I cried and he sighed.
It was a hard sigh; one of those I-can't-believe-you're-crying-and-I'm-comforting-you sigh's and I could tell just exactly what was on his mind. With that being said he pulled me from his shoulder and wiped the tears from my eyes, looking at me dead on with his hazel orbs.
I don't know what it was, the frustration or my clear confusion on what he was about to say or do next (as either action could make me feel worse that I already was) but as soon as he wiped the tears from my eyes (and rather roughly at that) I stopped crying and I stared at him, my nose still sniffling and the bags under my eyes still red.
I blinked hard, and sniffled again, waiting for him to let me have it, waiting for him to tell me how stupid I was for crying about this and how I really didn't need this job but instead Logan surprised me yet again and he did just the polar opposite.
He picked up a rock from off the ground, bouncing it lightly in his hand and sheathed his middle claw from his other hand, smirking devilishly at me.
"Which car is hers?"
My tears seemed to dry away completely and I smirked right along with him.
"It's the red sedan"
"C'mon"
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Ah, this felt good.
Yet another night alone with me and my cookies and cream. I think the ice cream tasted better now that it's been waiting for my return again cause this was heaven…rolling around twice.
It was a little passed midnight now and after stuffing rocks into old Mary's exhaust pipe and adding some rather fine detail to her paint job, Logan and I decided to call it a night and head back home.
The ride was a silent one; I never knew how he got to the bar in the first place cause he hitched a ride back with me and the both of us didn't say a word as we drove back to the institute.
I tell you, Logan was one strange fellow. I was beginning to think that showing up at random and awkward moments was one of his mutations; he's been doing a lot of it lately.
Like tonight when I got home. I showered and curled up in my sheets only to have him knock on my door with my half finished pint of cookies and cream and a spoon in hand. I couldn't have been happier to see him (the ice cream, not Logan) and I accepted it graciously as he didn't say a word but "I'm going to shower", then left.
So now here I am, topping off my ice cream and watching some sappy romance crap on TV, thinking about well….him again.
Logan was beginning to confuse me these days. It was really hard to hate someone who did nice things for you, even when I was on one of my pregnancy hormonal rampages. And the thing was, he wasn't even disguising his random acts of kindness; he was blatant with it and he offered no sort of explanation as a follow up; he just did it, and didn't say a word about it, before, after or during. It was confusing as hell.
In the passed hour and a half, Logan's had me raking my brain about his gift causing me to get fired from my job, allowed me to cry on his shoulder, made me stop crying and key my boss's car and now sit here and eat this deliciousness in a pint and forget completely that I was even fired. And how did I forget so soon you ask? Because I'm thinking about him…again!
Dear God I swear, this baby needs to get his or her and my hormones in check, a.s.a.p, because I was not doing so well with having my emotions up and down like a roller coaster. For the most part I was used to being a pretty level headed chick; I just didn't give a damn; about anything.
But now that I was pregnant that all changed; and I'm not sure if it's for the better or worse.
Suddenly there was a knock at my door interrupting my thoughts again.
"Ya?" I called and sucked the remainder of the ice cream off the spoon.
The wooden frame opened and surprise, surprise, in walked the man plaguing my thoughts yet again. I rolled my eyes.
Well at least he was showered now; he was a little more level headed after he had a shower. That and the fact that I loved when he walked around in his plaid sweats, white tank and freshly moosed hair; it was sexy.
Meanwhile he caught my eye roll as he came in and shut the door and he gave me a dry look. "What?" he asked looking for a fight obviously but I only dipped back into the ice cream.
"Nothing" was all I said however and I sucked the frozen goodness off of the spoon. Now he rolled his eyes and joined me on my bed, snatching the pint and spoon from my hands and eating a spoonful of his own.
I was shocked at first; surprised he had the balls to not only join me in my bed uninvited, but steal my ice cream as well. But after I recovered from that mild stone, I glared at him and snatched my ice cream back.
"Hey!" I cried and he looked at me strange.
"What?"
"Did anyone invite you in here?"
He swallowed the cookies and cream and I became jealous he was enjoying it and not me. I looked into the canister to find that a rather large chunk was missing; a rather large chunk that should have been mine.
"You did" he said, stealing my napkin as well and wiping his mouth. "When I knocked and you said yeah"
I looked at him dryly. "That was a who-is-it yeah, not a steal-my-ice cream yeah."
"Who bought the damn thing?"
More intense staring. "So," I retorted. "You don't see the professor walking around stealing people's food while their eating it."
"Well the professor doesn't have a girlfriend with a baby on the way; I think I'm allowed."
"What the hell does that have to do with—hey! I am not your girlfriend!" Christ I almost missed that one. What I little prick! How dare he! How dare he call me his girlfriend; disgusting! It was bad enough I had to carry his baby but now he had the nerve to call me his significant other! I don't think so; there was no shot in hell I would ever even think of doing such a thing. What in the world would give him the idea to even fathom I was his little bitch. Heh, dumb bastard.
Meanwhile as I fumed inside, Logan only chuckled, rolling onto his side to face me completely. "I knew that would get your attention" he smirked. I glared harder at him and slapped him on the chest.
"Asshole"
He chuckled again. "So what, is it the baby that's got you acting like a maniac or are you do you just naturally get worked up; I don't remember this from you before"
I glared again. "I wasn't pregnant before, with you're child."
"So you have been pregnant before?" I slapped him again and he laughed. "Oh lighten up chubby, I was only joking"
"I'm not in the mood for jokes" I angrily ate another spoonful of ice cream.
"Why?" he asked, and grabbed a magazine from the corner of my bed, mindlessly flipping through it. "Still thinking about that job?"
Ouch. I sighed hard and played around with the spoon and the ice cream. So much for forgetting about being fired.
I don't know what it was but even after we keyed Mary's car and I thought that I should have felt better, something inside was still miserable about it. I've never been fired before, from anything.
Then again I could only remember having a job at Daisy's and here at Xavier's but I've never felt the rejection of being let go; especially from something I adored so much. And the feeling was new to me, along with of being pregnant; I didn't know what to do. And I didn't like any of these feelings either; I was terrible at expressing myself and I wish I could just forget them all.
Noticing my silence, Logan closed the magazine and looked at me, sitting up in the bed now to address me properly.
"Vanessa?" he asked cautiously but I didn't answer. I was trying to keep the tears from falling again. "Vanessa are you—"
"Just shut up Logan" I snapped and poked furiously at my ice cream. Suddenly I wasn't so hungry anymore. "Just shut up and leave me alone"
He frowned, obviously not liking my attitude. "I was only trying to—"
"No, you were only trying to bother the shit out of me, so just leave me alone"
His frown deepened. "I wasn't. If I wanted to bother the shit out of you, believe me, I would have done a lot more than lay in your bed and eat your God forsaken ice cream."
"Well you know what, it does bother me so maybe you should just get out."
"What the hell is your problem?" He was growing frustrated now, as was I; I don't think neither of us were in the mood to be having this conversation.
"I don't have a problem" I pouted. "I'm—"
"An emotional bitch, that's what you are" he finished for me. "I can't ask you a simple question without you blowing steam out your ears and fuming at me."
What a dill hole. The only reason steam was blowing out my ears as of now was because of his crude remarks. "Because you're being an ass Logan!" I yelled at him and I could see him fume on the inside as well.
"I only asked if you were still thinking about that job!"
"Well maybe I am!"
"That's all you had to say!"
Pure silence.
The silence that followed Logan and my arguments always reassured me that once again, we argued over trivial garbage; the crap that didn't matter. When it came right down to it, one of us would yell something to the other that was the universal truth and we'd both realize that said person was right, and we were once again arguing over…well nothing. Just yelling for the sake of yelling.
Like right now.
Logan was right, that's all I really did have to say; yes I was still thinking about being fired from the job. But of course with Logan and I, nothing was ever that simple and it had to turn into a full-blown battle.
God I don't know how I'm going to put up with this for the next seven months; or hell 18 years with the baby and all.
"Vanessa" he began after a few moments of silence. "Vanessa I—"
"I'm sorry" I beat him to the punch line but dare not look in his eyes. I was afraid he'd tease me and start yet another argument if I did. "I didn't mean to snap at you" I poked nervously at the melting ice cream. "I just……maybe I am an emotional bitch"
Now it was Logan's turn to sigh. I think this is him being sympathetic; he hasn't made a wise crack at my apology yet. "You're not an emotional bitch Vanessa" he reassured me, and I finally looked him in the eyes. "You're a pregnant bitch"
My eyes drew flat; spoke to soon.
"I read in that God-awful book you gave me that pregnant women have a lot of hormones running around that they really have no control over so, until the squirt is born, I suppose you're excused. After that though, don't get excited; I'll let you have it."
I blinked. "Logan, you're not going to call our baby a squirt are you?"
He blinked back and then laughed. I'm assuming he was laughing because by way of my question, it sounded like I didn't catch a word he said except referring to our little embryo as a squirt.
"You didn't hear a word I said did you?"
Yeah I knew that's why he was laughing. I set down the ice cream.
"I heard what you said Logan and yeah I'll admit, I'm a little more emotional than I used to be. But you act like I go out looking for trouble; I honestly don't snap unless I'm provoked." I gave him a hard look as I said this and he smirked and chuckled again. I have no idea what he found so humorous.
"Touché" he said. "I see your point."
You see my point? What the hell? How about another apology? I just said I wouldn't snap unless I'm provoked and being that you are the primary instigator, how about a little more compensation than touché.
"Is that all you have to say?" I asked him and he nodded, flipping in the magazine again.
I wanted to fume inside once more but I quickly calmed down before my hormones escalated. What the hell man? What was wrong with him some days? "Logan" I began and he looked up at me. "You don't have anything else you want to fess up to? No reasonings, explanations, apologies."
He scoffed. "What do I have to apologize for?"
"Logan, you and I both know that you're the main reason I'm angry all the time."
He scoffed again.
I swear if you do that one more time…
"Me?" he tried to play the dumb card but it wasn't working. "Don't blame me for your troubles Vanessa, I don't do anything to you."
Now it was my turn to scoff. "Oh, horse shit. You poke fun at me all the time!"
"I do not; name once."
"You're not an emotional bitch; you're a pregnant bitch" I mocked him in my best Logan-like voice and he laughed.
"You call that teasing? Christ you really are sensitive."
"You see that! Right there, you're doing it again; you're chastising me"
He laughed again. "All right, all right, you got me Vanessa, I tease you" he admitted with another laugh and I pouted. "But I can't help it; you're just too easy."
"So!" what the hell kind of explanation was that? I was too easy to pick on? Scooter was an easy target too, but he didn't even tease him as much as he teased me. "It's easy to eat with your hands instead of utensils but you don't go around doing that do you?" I countered and he smirked. God I hated that smirk. "You're so mean sometimes Logan and for no reason at all. Why do you pick on me so much? What have I ever done to deserve—"
"It's cause I like you"
My rant was silenced and once again, the dead quiet returned among us. Logan's words somehow always found a way to get me to shut the hell up and tonight was no different as for the second time in probably the passed ten minutes, I had nothing to say, and I was stunned speechless by his words and his actions.
Did my arch nemesis just say what I thought he said? Did he just break all mandated laws in which to follow when one has an arch nemesis? He liked me?
He wasn't supposed to like me; he couldn't like me; we hated each other; didn't we?
I turned to look at him, only to find his big, hazel, googly, orbs were staring back at me, pure truth and innocence locked in them and greeted by the confusion in mine.
He didn't say anything; he just blinked in the silence, as did I; the both of us staring at each other, most likely waiting for the other to say something.
I went first.
"…What?"
That was all that really could force itself out of my mouth, on top of the other million and one things running through my mind but as soon as I said this however, Logan only smiled and sat up in the bed, placing a hand on my small belly and kissing my gently before getting up and retreating out the room.
"Goodnight Vanessa" was all he had left to say, and with that my room door shut closed.
I stared at the wooden frame.
God how I hated that man.
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