Chapter 28: Three days notice
Having sorted things out (and threatened one Kitty Pryde with dire consequences) Marie put the whole morning's mess behind her. She had enough to worry about without wondering who was saying what. After giving Logan a private kiss goodbye, she wished him well in speaking with Jean and headed to her next class.
Meanwhile, Logan had finally worked out his conversation opener, and decided to schedule an appointment with Dr. Grey so that he could be sure of having her undivided attention. He'd managed to reserve a time slot right after lunch and kissed Marie for courage before making his way to her office.
Rapping lightly on the door, he did his best not to fidget and tried to keep in mind Marie's reminders. Be nice, be polite. Remember to behave with manners, ask his questions as clearly as he was able. Send for her if needed.
Actually, if she hadn't had classes she'd be here with him now, but Logan wanted his girl to have every opportunity in the world and that meant she needed to finish school. Her kisses had helped some, but he still couldn't get all the grasshoppers jumping around in his stomach to chill out-
"Come in."
The dulcet voice bid him entrance and he stepped in, gnawing hard on a cigar that he'd popped into his mouth for that exact, nervous purpose. The slim redhead rose from her desk, smoothing down a tan pencil skirt and flicking away an invisible speck of lint from her silk navy blue blouse. The human was attracted to her while the animal couldn't care less but both shared the same goal:
Get answers.
"Mr. Howlett, it's a pleasure. Would you sit? Can I offer you a beverage?" She cooed. He shook his head and sat gingerly.
"This ain't exactly a social call Red. I got some questions."
She nodded, helping herself to a sparkling lemon water from the mini fridge in the corner.
"Yes, you mentioned that in your message. Of course I'll try and help in any way that I can, but I do need a bit more information please."
So he told her. He told her of what might have been dreams but felt like memories, of the feeling that he'd met her before, he asked the question he'd been turning over in his mind for days.
"Do you know who I am?"
After putting together what little information they had, both parties were disheartened to find that very little was actually known. Jean was able to look back through files from years ago and give him the name of a location, but was unsure as to what had been done to him.
She'd also been able to tell him a little about the facility, from what she could remember, but she and her team had been in the midst of their own escape.
"And then you ran. I felt and saw flashes of chaos, of bloodlust. But your mind, in the end it was so wonderfully clear. So empty… I didn't know what to make of it. I still don't."
Not exactly the wealth of information he'd been hoping for. Sensing his disappointment, Jean tried to reassure him.
"I'm sure this is hard for you, I don't know if I could handle a situation like this myself. But you seem.. Content enough. Teaching and what not. And you have your young ward-"
His double take was so severe he actually nearly pinched a nerve.
"The hell are you talking about Red?"
Her brow furrowed and she smoothed away another speck of lint. "Your ward? Rogue? I'm sorry, I don't know how you refer to one another-" He took a particularly vicious bite down on his cigar and interrupted before she could go any further.
"Refer to one another as mates. She's mine and I'm hers, she's not my fucking daughter."
Her lips pursed in thought, head tilting while she studied him. "My apologies again, what with her relationship concerning Mr. Drake-"
"Who the hell is he?! What's he teach?"
The normally unflappable doctor now shifted, beginning to smell uncomfortable. Somehow, her agitation only made things worse.
"He's one of your students Mr. Howlett. The other students refer to him as Bobby, or his chosen mutant name, Iceman. In a school setting, it's natural for rumors to run rampant. It could be I was mistaken-"
Feeling all sorts of mixed up inside and not in the mood to talk to the doe-eyed red-head, he cut her off.
"I need that address, for the facility."
She handed it over without protest and he was on his way.
Having known what a difficult afternoon he was in for, Marie had been hoping to surprise Logan with a treat. First part of the plan? Getting a ride home from school with Victor. Holing up in the kitchen was the second.
Lola had been kind enough to lend her assistance, making sure all the ingredients for the pie and homemade ice cream were in the pantry. Washing up, she pulled her hair back and tied on an apron. It was arm numbing work, readying her pie crust, but between that and the spicy sweet apple mixture she planned to fill it with, Marie knew it was worth the effort.
She was just popping it out of the oven when Pollock scampered past, a sure sign that Logan's truck was pulling into the drive. Apron off and hair down, she followed just as happily, hoping that things had gone well and prepared to comfort if they had not.
The smile on her face slid away as he clomped in, shoulders tense and scowling. With the way his fists were clenching, she knew he was spoiling for a fight.
"Hey Sugah. Yah back."
"Who the hell is Bobby and why is his name linked with yours?"
Okay. So a fight with her.
"He's a classmate. Why?" His reply was a hard stare, his jaw working.
"What's going on?" She tried again. The feral paced briefly, hand rubbing his face before whirling back on her.
"Are you cheating on me?"
"WHAT?!"
Still pacing and now growling, he loomed over the girl, eyes stormy.
"Look. Don't be yanking my chain. You're a kid, you got kid problems. You got kid crushes too? Cause if you feel like shacking up with some Popsicle pup-"
Refusing to take the bait, she tried to pull him closer to her.
"Sugah yah know ah love yah-"
"Do you?"
Swallowing,she cupped his cheek,only to be shook off.
"Yes. Ah do. So stop yellin at meh and tell meh what happened."
"Nothing."
He was walking away, dismissing her, keeping her at arm's length yet again and Marie had had enough. However, nothing about the couple was normal and in this regard, it was no different.
Before her mind had time to process the action, she was off and running to keep up with his long legged stride. He turned just as she tackled him and both fell in a heap.
"Marie get off me!"
"NO, not until you tell me what's wrong."
Scowling he attempted to stand, only for Marie to cling koala bear style.
"Marie GET. OFF."
"No."
He shoved at her, snarling when she rolled off and then launched herself at him again.
"Knock it off and let me up!" Staring down at him, the air almost crackled with a maelstrom of emotion. But she wasn't about to let well enough alone.
"Make meh."
He snarled once more, blinking when Marie snarled back. Then their teeth were crashing together and bodies colliding in a different way entirely.
Angry sex was a first for Marie and she had to admit it felt pretty damn good. When finally they were spent, she was boneless and hot bruises were blooming up and down her slender frame. He'd been merciless, driving her to the brink only to back off just before completion. At times she'd nearly screamed in frustration, then she was screaming his name when he'd given her exactly what she needed.
"That was…" She didn't have the words. He had a few freshly healing bite marks. Logan smiled slightly, trailed a finger down her spine.
"I'll say."
"That thing with your tongue.." She blushed, which was funny considering all they'd just done. He smirked.
"Told you darlin'. Been a lot of places. Picked up a lot of things."
Marie swatted at him,smiling when he barked out a laugh and put her head back on his chest.
"Sugah?"
"Mm?"
"What.. what exactly happened at yah appointment?"
He sighed, his lips pressing to her hair.
"Marie I don't… it's…."
He trailed off and the worry she'd been fighting off came back full fledged. Marie sat up, dragging the covers with her and waited until he met her eyes.
"M'rie? What's- are you hurt? Did I hurt you? Fuck I-"
"It's bad. Isn't it?"
She couldn't put her finger on it. But Marie recognized the sudden tightness in her chest as one of foreboding. Logan hugged her closer, confused and still worried.
"What are you-"
"Whatever Dr. Grey said. It's something bad, isn't it? So are yah leaving, are yah sick, what?"
He tugged her back into his lap,cuddling his mate close.
"She.. She gave me an address. An old lab, according to Intel it's no longer in use. But that's about all she could give me. She.. She didn't really have anything I didn't already piece together myself. She said.. She told me that I killed most of the personnel, at least from what she knew. That I was.. well I wasn't exactly using my words at that point."
His smile was pained and Marie hugged him tight.
"Ah'm sorry sugah. Ah know yah were counting on this."
He sighed,all of his frustration and bravado seeping out, leaving him deflated.
"I really thought.. anyway. I have the address. It isn't much, a lot less than I wanted. But… but I think I need to check this place out."
Again, she read the subtext.
"Yah mean alone." She commented quietly. He nodded once, a quick jerk of his head.
"How.. how long would yah be gone for?"
" Maybe a couple days. A week tops."
"Oh."
He didn't have the words and she was no mind reader, but he would try to muddle along all the same. Stroking her hair, he gave it a shot.
"Marie, I can't keep doing this. I want to be with you, and I want us together always. But I don't want to have to keep wondering if you love a monster. If our babies are held by a killer's hands. You're doing good here, getting on track. So…. I guess I'm asking you to give me a couple days here. I was thinking about when I left Red's office. Three days, to check the area, maybe find locals who were around at the time. See if anybody remembers anything."
"And then you'll come home?"
"And then I'll come home."
