Dr. Anderson, or Samantha as she preferred to be called outside of the office, invited Marie to lunch claiming that she had a hard time making friends since moving back to the area. Marie agreed since she was in desperate need of expanding her girlfriend base. Kitty and Jubilee were busy with their own lives and their advice concerning her life was growing more subjective and repetitive.

Marie and Samantha sat chatting up a storm at a cafe down the street from the mansion.

Samantha took a sip of her lemonade, "So Logan and Remy huh? How many losers did you have to date before you hit the beefcake lottery?"

Marie stuttered slightly as she blushed, "No losers...I had a boyfriend named Bobby, then Logan...then" Her voice trailed off as she cleared her throat and looked down, remembering Victor. He had not been one of significant others, but his horrifying place in her past had greatly impacted her present and her relationships with the men in her life.

Samantha raised a brow, "You say that as if there's more to that story."

Marie took a deep breath, "It's not what you think...I was, um...attacked by a horrible man...well, I think he was more animal than man. Logan was there for me through that."

Samantha was taken aback at that revelation. Magneto had told her about her kidnapping at Alkali Lake, but she had no idea the girl had been raped. She was so young and vibrant.

As they continued to talk, Samantha couldn't help but admire the young woman who she and Magneto had been plotting against.

Immediately after her lunch with Marie, she arrived at Magneto's headquarters. She stomped through the metal plated corridor, calling his name. He floated down from the top level and smirked, "How did your lunch date go?"

She ran a hand through her hair, "I don't know if I can do this."

Magneto's eyebrows knitted in confusion, "My dear, we've been through this-"

Samantha threw her purse down, "No! We haven't! Did you know that she's been raped? She's been through enough in her life. How am I expected to steal her baby?"

Truth be told, Magneto didn't know about her attack, but he wasn't going to let that detail derail his plans. He placed a calm hand on Samantha's back, "It is a sad situation, yes...but if we must sacrifice her happiness for the survival of all mutants, then we will. Her child will be the first Class 5 mutant I've come across since Jean Grey."

"How are you so sure that what happened with Jean won't happen with this child?"

"I will raise this child myself and ensure he can keep his powers under control...besides...men are a bit easier to control than women are."

Samantha nodded reluctantly as Magneto patted her shoulder and walked away.


Kitty and Jubilee were in full-on psycho baby shower planning mode. Per Marie's request (see also: demands), it was to be a unisex baby shower with "real" food. In other words, she wanted a house party with baby presents.

Remy did as Marie asked and tried his best not to be so sarcastic with Logan and even stepped out of the way to give him the opportunity to bond with Marie and the baby.

He ran into Marie while she was eating toast cheddar, cream cheese and salsa in the kitchen one night. He cringed as he watched her take a bite, "That's quite a colorful combination ya got there petite fleur."

She smiled and moaned in satisfaction, "Mmm...delicious. Want some?"

He politely declined and sat next to her, "No thanks darlin'. What's got you up this evenin'...besides the crazy cravin's?"

She shrugged and pointed at her belly, "I'm gettin' beat up."

Remy laughed and reached over to smooth a hand over her stomach, "Aw...he prolly just needs a song or somethin' to calm him down."

Marie jumped and cringed, putting down her sandwich, "Oof...well, he needs somethin'. I feel like I'mma end up with bruises."

Both of Remy's eyebrows shot upwards when he felt the abrupt and strong bump against his hand, "Heh...that was a mighty powerful kick indeed. Come on...we'll calm 'em down."

Remy helped her up and led her to the library where she laid on the large leather couch that faced the fireplace. He sat on the floor in front of her and hummed a soft, southern lullaby near her belly.

His surprisingly lovely voice swirled around her, causing her to relax immediately as the rough movements within her began to slow.

Marie smiled contently and watched him for a moment before brushing some hair out of his eyes, "You know I love ya, right Remy?"

He flinched as if he'd been stung by a bee and turned his gaze back to her belly, "I know, but I wish you loved me more...I wished you loved me as much as I love you."

She took a deep, shivering breath. She wondered if she would fall deeper in love with him if the baby turned out to be his. The way he took care of her and communicated with him melted her heart and, at times, gave Logan a run for his money.

As the baby calmed, so did Marie. She fell into a light slumber as Remy watched over her. Logan walked into the room with his hands shoved into his pockets. He had come out of their room to find her when he realized that a cream cheese, salsa, cheddar sandwich shouldn't take that long to make and eat.

Remy and Logan's eyes met when he entered the room. The tension that crackled through the air was so palpable, Marie shifted and murmured something inaudible in her sleep as Remy slowly stood and walked past Logan, "You might wanna take her to bed."

The two had dozens of encounters like that. Sometimes they didn't even have to speak. They would simply silently regard each other or give each other nods from across the room.

It was the closest to "friendly" the two would ever be.


Logan took Marie to her birthing class partly because he knew if he didn't, the cajun would. The other reason he went was because of all of his years on the earth, he'd never been present for the birth of a child and was curious about what to expect. He wanted to make sure he had the tools to help her through, what promised to be, the most painful experience of her life.

Logan looked around the room at the group of hugely pregnant women and their nervous looking partners/husbands. He had carried a mat and pillow in and as soon as they entered the room, Marie was handed a booklet and told to pick a spot on the floor.

"The floor?" Logan repeated, a hint of concern coating his voice. Marie was almost 9 months pregnant...she wouldn't be sitting on anybody's damn floor if he had anything to say about it.

Marie patted his shoulder, "It's ok darlin'. That's what the mat and pillow is for."

He glanced around the room and watched as another expectant mother gingerly lowered herself to the mat. He quickly sprung into action, finding a prime spot in the middle of the room as he laid down the mat and fluffed the pillow.

When he had fluffed the pillow as much as he possibly could, he stood back up and helped Marie lower herself onto the mat. The instructor had ridiculously long hair that Logan was sure hadn't been cut since the 70's. Her long peasant skirt flowed around her as she walked to the front of the classroom with open arms, speaking in calm, soothing tones, "Welcome new mothers and fathers...you are about to embark on the most magical journey the earth has ever seen...you are about to witness...birth."

Logan shook his head and groaned, "This is gonna be a long morning."

Marie nudged him in the ribs with her elbow and shot him a look.

After the granola lady (as Logan called her) gave her drawn out introduction, she instructed the mothers to sit Indian style on their mats with their partners behind them to run through breathing exercises.

Granola lady floated through the room, gently encouraging her students, "In through the nose, out through the mouth...very good. Partners, don't forget to encourage mommy."

Marie leaned back against Logan's chest as she breathed in and out. At that moment, he reveled in the familiar, yet consistently awe inspiring feeling of her body against his. The world melted away and he was able to ignore the fact that he was in a room full of people with a hippie roaming around, singing about mother earth. He just felt her against him as he leaned down and let his whiskered cheek brush against her smooth face.

He put both hands on the sides of her belly and began rubbing in small circles. Marie smiled and closed her eyes as Logan kissed her temple and whispered, "Breathe baby...you're gonna do fine."

She turned her head to capture his lips in a loving kiss, but they were interrupted by granola lady, who was giving another set of instructions.

After another hour of breathing, massaging and birth coach training, the lights were dimmed for the video.

It started off innocently enough, giving an in-the-womb view of babies in their 40th week of gestation...then it all went to hell in a gasoline soaked handbasket.

As they watched some poor woman give birth, Logan cringed...Wolverine...cringed at the sight. He didn't stop to think about the fact that he had beheaded and literally ripped several people apart in his lifetime. He'd seen blood and guts before...but this affected him, probably because he knew Marie would be going through the exact same thing.

He watched in horror as the head emerged from between the video woman's legs, then the shoulders...Logan cried out, surprising even himself at his outburst, "It ripped! It ripped! What the hell?"

As the people in the class exchanged looks, granola woman smiled evenly, "Do not worry. It is perfectly natural."

Marie laughed softly and shook her head while Logan's face stayed frozen in a twisted expression of horror and disgust as his eyes stayed glued to the screen. After the baby was born, he pointed at the screen, "What is that?"

Granola lady's tone was calm and patient, "That's the umbilical cord and that is the placenta...also known as the after birth. It is what provides your unborn child with all of the oxygen and nutrients he or she needs while in utero. Some people choose to save theirs."

That comment elicited a shudder and slight gag from Logan.

By the time the lights came back on, Logan's face was still frozen in shock. Marie shook his shoulder, which broke him out of his daze. He cleared his throat and looked at her. How could her face be so calm and serene after watching something so horrible?

As they walked to the car, he was astonished by her contentment with the situation. After all, she was the one who would have to go through it and if he were her, he'd be freaking out...but as they walked to the car and rode home, she hummed to the songs on the radio and favored him with relaxed smiles.

Marie never ceased to amaze him.


Magneto sat across from Samantha in his hideout, discussing their best way to go about their baby snatching plan, "How much longer do we have until her due date?"

Samantha sighed, "She has just a couple more weeks until she's full term. It's her first pregnancy so the baby could come any time after that."

"I don't think we can leave this one up to nature. We need to orchestrate the birth ourselves. As soon as it is safe to deliver the child, we must do so."

Samantha ran a hand through her hair and bit her lip before looking back up at Magneto, "How do you suppose we go about this?"

He smirked, "I'll have some members of the brotherhood create a diversion that requires the attention of the X Men. They'll be the perfect way to get her away from her bodyguards."


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