Note: Thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed last chapter. As always, I really appreciate it. This chapter is long overdue, but I finally finished and edited it. The story will be wrapping up in probably one more chapter and an epilogue, and then I'll start posting one of my other WIPs. I might do a poll with the summaries of probably two fics and you guys can vote which one you'd rather read first. The fics in the poll depends on which WIPs I have are further along. But anyways... Here's the new chapter. Enjoy! :)
Twenty-Nine
Ororo woke up alone again. Well, not entirely alone. Skye was snuggled into the crook of her arm, wiggling a little as she mouthed at her mother's shirt, trying to nurse. "I'm so sorry, my beautiful girl. You must be hungry." Sitting up carefully, she opened the top buttons of her blouse and gathered Skye to her breast while looking around, trying to gain her bearings and searching for Logan.
"Where have you gone now, my love?" she murmured aloud, unable to sense him within the forested Danger Room.
She had just finished feeding and burping Skye when there was a rustling sound to her left. Ororo smiled as Logan stepped into the clearing carrying a serving tray loaded with food. His dark hair was damp from a recent shower, and his clothes were clean and not tattered or bloodstained. He grinned when he saw her awake.
"Figured you could use some breakfast, darlin'." Logan strode across the small clearing and knelt on the soft patch of moss as he set down the tray.
"That was very thoughtful of you, Logan, thank you." Ororo leaned over to give him a kiss, then sat back, adjusting Skye in her lap.
He shifted around, getting settled beside her and reaching for Skye as Ororo reached for some food. Taking the baby with an easy grin, he snuggled her into the crook of his left arm, a relaxed air about him as he bent over and lovingly nuzzled Skye's downy-soft tuft hair. The infant squeaked, her arms flapping without coordination and bopping her daddy in the nose.
Ororo laughed, taking a bite of fruit salad, happy that they were all together; safe. She hadn't been badly injured in Sabretooth's attack—she would heal soon enough. Logan's physical injuries were no longer apparent, and Skye—thankfully—hadn't been harmed whatsoever. Even her sister, brother-in-law, nephew, and the rest of their X-Men family were alright. The emotional scars would heal. Everything was going to be alright.
.
The winter holidays passed by in a flash; Skye was growing quickly, already crawling around with ease by the end of spring. At that time, Ororo was gradually rejoining the X-Men on the occasional mission, and even Logan was back on the team pretty much full time. He'd gotten increasingly better at controlling his feral impulses, and although he still didn't feel completely at ease in public places, and wouldn't wear shoes if he didn't absolutely have to, Logan was doing well, continuing to progress.
By mid-July, the mansion was pretty quiet. Scott and Jean were in Hawaii visiting Scott's brother, Alex, Evan was off for the week with his parents, and Kitty was spending four days in Illinois at her folks' lakeside cabin. Kurt had just returned from two weeks in Germany, which meant he and Rogue were the only students currently on the estate.
With mostly everyone gone, Logan had little training to do with the kids that were actually around at any given moment, and was keeping busy turning Xavier's unused horse barn into a little home for his family. Charles had actually given him the idea, suggesting that he and Ororo deserved a place of their own, somewhere quiet to get away from the ruckus of the mansion once in a while.
Ororo was on her way down to the barn to bring Logan some lunch, Skye snuggly strapped into the baby carrier against her chest. The nine-month-old was squealing happily as Ororo took to the air; Skye loved it when she flew with her. Taking obvious precautions, Ororo never flew too high or too fast when her daughter was with her, taking care to deflect the wind from Skye's face as well.
Landing gracefully in front of the barn, Ororo pulled open the new singular door that Logan had built the week prior. She stepped inside, small lunch tote in one hand, and crossed the unfinished wood flooring, her flats making soft pitter-patter sounds as she moved. The barn was two levels, the lower floor set up as an open floor plan, with a large living/dining room/kitchen, and a short hallway that led to the downstairs bathroom. On the opposite side was the staircase that led up to the old hayloft, now separated into a master bedroom and a hallway with two smaller rooms on either side.
Ororo was about to call out for Logan when she heard his voice from upstairs.
"Up here, darlin'!"
She ascended the stairs and took a left, walking through to the master bedroom. There was a large, rustic bed frame carved out of maple at the center, but no other furnishings. The wooden floors had been sanded and finished to a smooth, honey color. Logan had been intent on getting the upstairs done first, so they could move in sooner. They could always go back to the mansion for any kitchen needs, but at least they'd be able to sleep in their own place.
Softly moving toward the master bath, she found her husband on his back beneath the sink with a wrench in hand. He appeared to be twisting some sort of bolt or something, grunting with effort and then wiggling his way out before sitting up. Ororo smiled at him. "Hello, handsome."
Logan snorted, offering a crooked grin and then climbing to his feet. He set the wrench on the edge of the sink and wiped his hands on his jeans before reaching for Skye. He leaned forward, giving Ororo a kiss while lifting Skye out of the pouch.
The baby squealed and squirmed as he cuddled her to his chest, nuzzling at her ever-growing hair. "Hey there, sweet-pea."
Ororo held up the bag in her right hand, waving it in the air. "We brought you lunch."
Logan gestured for them to move out into the bedroom, bouncing Skye a little in his arms. "Lost track o' time," he muttered, taking a seat on the floor by the foot of the bed.
She smiled, nodding. "I could tell." The windows in the bedroom were all open, and there were two oscillating fans in separate corners of the room to circulate air, but it was the middle of July and still quite hot inside. The heat didn't bother her unless it was extreme, thanks to her special abilities, but Logan was sweating and since he'd been working inside all day, she figured he was uncomfortable. "Do you want to eat outside?"
Taking a second to think about, Logan blew out a breath and then got back to his feet. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."
Ororo watched with amusement as he padded out of the room barefoot and swiftly descended the stairs. She followed swiftly, carrying his lunch and admiring the way his sweat-dampened t-shirt clung to his muscular frame.
They crossed the well-manicured lawn toward the pool area, sitting down at one of the tables in the shaded cabana. Ororo opened the lunch bag and passed Logan a bottle of water that was still cold, then took off Skye's carrier since the baby was no longer in it.
Logan stripped off his t-shirt and tossed it over the back of an empty chair, then slugged down half the bottle of water. He lightly bounced Skye on one knee while unwrapping the sandwich Ororo had brought him and taking a large bite.
"I can't believe how much work you've already completed on the barn," Ororo commented as she watched him devour his lunch.
He nodded with a grunt and a small, crooked smile. "Yep. Just got a few little things ta tweak with the plumbing today, but if I get the mattress an' Skye's crib down we can probably spend the night."
Ororo's eyes widened with delight. "Really?"
Logan grinned at the look of happiness on her face. "Yep."
"I'll wash the linens when I get back inside." She was just as eager to be in their own living space as Logan was. It wasn't that they couldn't get privacy while in the loft at the mansion, but it was a little cramped with no barrier between their bedroom and the nursery.
Leaning back in her chair, Ororo noticed that Logan suddenly looked distracted. He'd stopped eating and was staring out across the lawn, a faraway look in his dark eyes. Her brows furrowed. "Logan? What is it?" She squinted, trying to see what he was staring at.
He heaved a sigh, his jaw clenching briefly. "It's Rogue."
Ororo furrowed her brow as she tried again to follow his line of sight, but she just didn't see anyone. "I don't—"
Logan waved a hand in the general direction of the mansion. "She's sittin' starin' out the window." He frowned. "The kid's been like that all summer. Barely goes outside."
Ororo pursed her lips. "Well…perhaps it's just easier to be inside where it's air conditioned rather than being all covered up in this heat."
He snorted, rose a skeptical eyebrow at her. "You an' I both know that ain't just it."
She sighed softly, offered a tight smile. "Yes, I suppose I was just hoping that that was the only reason." Ororo turned her head toward the mansion, even though she couldn't see the solemn girl sitting in the window. "She must feel left out. All the other students have been able to get away this summer, visiting family, friends. Rogue doesn't have that option. Her friends are here, her only family is here."
"Hn." Logan grunted with a sharp nod. He shifted Skye on his lap so she was facing him, giving her daddy a big smile and squealing.
"Maybe you could take Rogue out one day, just to get away from the mansion," Ororo suggested as the thought came to her.
His eyebrows shot up incredulously. "Me?"
She laughed softly. "Yes, you. Rogue looks up to you, Logan. She feels more…connected to you. She'll appreciate it more if you're willing to spend time with her rather than me, or Hank, or even Charles."
He made a face, looking uncomfortable. "I dunno what the hell teenage girls like ta do fer fun."
Ororo smirked wickedly. "Consider it practice for when Skye's older." She gestured toward their baby on his lap.
Logan's eyes bulged, then he scowled at her half-heartedly. "That ain't even funny, darlin'."
.
"Why are we even doin' this?" Rogue grumbled from the passenger side of Logan's Jeep, arms crossed in a disgruntled pose. "You don't even like bein' out in public."
She'd hit the nail on the head with that one, and Logan knew it. His jaw clenched, and his hands tightened on the steering wheel. "'Ro thought it'd be a good idea," he muttered, knowing Rogue would appreciate him being straight with her. "You've been spendin' too much time cooped up an' alone this summer."
She let out an inelegant snort and continued staring out the window. "But a farmer's market? Really?" the surly teen muttered incredulously. "That don't sound like fun tah me."
Logan shrugged, his patience starting to wear thin. "Me neither, but 'Ro wants fresh ingredients fer tonight's dinner, an' we can go get ice-cream or somethin' afterwards."
Rogue huffed out a breath. "Whatever."
"Gimme a break, Stripes!" Logan barked as he pulled to a stop at a traffic light, signs for the Bayville Farmer's Market just up ahead. "I'm doin' the best I can. Next time you think o' somewhere you wanna go and we'll go, alright?"
She shrugged and actually turned her head to stare at the side of his face for a moment. "Yeah, okay… Ah guess." Rogue's voice actually sounded far less testy and even slightly hopeful.
"Good." His grip loosened on the steering wheel slightly as he turned into the big parking lot being used for the market. It was pretty early and there weren't a huge amount of cars there, yet. That was a relief. Logan wasn't so sure he was feeling up to dealing with crowds at the moment.
.
Rogue stayed close to Logan as they traversed the various food stands throughout the area. She'd never been to a farmer's market before, and was a little in awe of all the fresh fruits, veggies, dairy products, and other farm-produced items from stand to stand. Not all of it was food, either. There was an old man in worn overalls showing off some hand-carved trinkets, and a young, thirty-something woman with long braids trying to sell pottery and paintings.
As Logan moved about, collecting things from the list Ororo had given him, Rogue was momentarily distracted by a handsome young man with auburn hair and a dangerous, charming grin, shuffling cards over a wooden stack of milk crates. His gaze flicked toward her, and Rogue was taken aback by the startling red irises surrounded by pure black where it was normally white. Either he was wearing some funky contact lenses, or he was a mutant. He tipped his chin, smiling roguishly and then winking at her before returning his attention to his cards, trying to get the attention of other passersby.
Rogue felt her cheeks flush and spun around to keep up with Logan, but when she dragged her attention away from the young man, her mentor was nowhere in sight. She cursed under her breath and grimaced while weaving through the ever-growing crowd of people. The market appeared far more packed with patrons than it had been moments ago. Rogue tugged down at the lightweight sleeves of her shirt, shuffling around people like they were diseased as she searched for Logan, the heat and anxiety about accidently touching someone making her sweat.
She could hardly see through the thick crowd of people now, and tried to make her way toward the parking lot, but couldn't be sure she was moving in the right direction. "Logan!" Rogue called out, ignoring the little voice in the back of her head that was telling her to stay put and let him find her. "Logan!"
She felt a hand grab her cloth-covered arm, and jerked back instinctively, spinning around and expecting Logan to be there. Instead, Rogue's grey-green eyes locked onto a pair of red-on-black ones. Her eyebrows rose and she gasped softly, startled.
"You lost, chere?"
Rogue frowned momentarily at the unexpected thick accent. It was French, but not French. Louisiana kind of French. What did they call it down south? Cajun! That was it. The boy was French-Cajun. What people like her from Mississippi called a Swamp-rat. She hardened her expression with effort and took a step away from the young, handsome stranger. "Ah ain't lost. Ah just got separated from the person Ah was with."
He tilted his head questioningly. "You père?" At her puzzled look, he clarified, "Your father?"
She shook her head. "He's not my father. He's a—an instructor at my…boarding school," Rogue finished lamely, not sure why she was bothering to tell the stranger even that much. He'd obviously been watching her if he knew that her companion had been a man.
The young man opened his mouth to say something, but before he could get any words out they were interrupted by a ferocious growl, and then the next thing Rogue knew, she was getting hauled off her feet and tossed over a broad shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Logan!" she squealed with a startled yelp, quickly realizing who'd snatched her up.
"Chere!" the Cajun guy called after her, dashing determinedly and trying to push his way through the heavy crowd.
Rogue wanted to yell at him to back off, that she didn't need help, but she couldn't get the words out with the way she was bouncing around on Logan's shoulder. It didn't take her long to realize that something had made him snap to be behaving this way, like he was snatching her away from danger. She needed to calm him down soon, before some innocent bystander got hurt. Logan was moving fast and determinedly though, and it would be safer if she tried to get him to focus where there weren't as many people.
When he finally put her down beside his Jeep in the parking lot, Rogue instantly recognized the panic-stricken look in his dark eyes, but she could also tell that he hadn't really slipped off the edge this time; he wasn't feral. Her brows furrowed as she studied him, straightening her rumpled clothes and steadying her breath.
"Are you okay?" he asked with an almost-desperate edge. He was breathing hard, distressed.
"Ah'm fine," Rogue insisted, keeping her voice calm. "Ah just got distracted an' lost track of yah." Her eyes swept over him one more time. "Are you okay?"
Logan cleared his throat, slowing his breathing with effort and then dragging a hand through his thick, mussed hair. "There was just…people everywhere…an' I couldn't—then you yelled out fer me an I—"
"'Ey!"
Rogue spun on her heel and cursed under her breath when she saw the Cajun boy running toward them, an almost murderous look on his face.
"Get away from de girl, bête!" he shouted, reaching into the inner chest pocket of his unseasonable trench coat and brandishing some fanned out playing cards.
Rogue had a brief moment to wonder what the hell this crazy guy thought he was doing, then she saw a red flash from his fingertips that set the cards aglow. She suddenly feared that bad things were about to happen because of a misunderstanding.
"RRrrr!" Logan growled fiercely in warning and protectively pushed Rogue behind him.
"Wait-wait-wait!" she cried out, but it was too late.
Logan and the Cajun both jerked toward one another, Logan releasing the claws on one hand and the younger man flicking a stream of glowing cards at the feral's chest.
The cards exploded on impact, much to Rogue's horror and surprise, and she was too shocked to move at first as she watched her mentor fly backwards and fall to the pavement with a sharp grunt. Then the Cajun guy was grabbing her arm, trying to pull her away.
"Come wit' me, I get you someplace safe, chere."
Shaking herself from her stunned fugue and suddenly infused with anger, Rogue shoved the stranger away from her hard, knocking him on his ass. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" she screeched at him before kneeling at Logan's side.
Rogue was relieved to see that he was already healing, the explosions having been more concussive than incendiary, packing quite a punch as it threw him to the ground. She had a feeling that the Cajun could have done far worse if he'd intended to. She helped Logan sit up, trying to calm him as he started growling, glaring dangerously at the stunned Cajun like he seriously wanted to stab the guy. "Easy, easy. It was just a misunderstanding," Rogue claimed, one hand pressing firmly against her mentor's shoulder as though she could hold him back from eviscerating this guy.
The Cajun stood slowly, holding his hands up in a non-threatening gesture and looking to Rogue for explanation. "Wha's goin' on, chere?"
She scowled at him. "My name is Rogue, an' ya'll woulda been better off mindin' yah own business!" She helped Logan to his feet and stood between the two.
"Remy jus' tryin' t'help. T'ought you was in trouble."
"Remy, is it?" Rogue asked, still scowling at him. She breathed in and out slowly and softened her demeanor with effort. "Look, Ah appreciate yah tryin' tah do the right thing, but Ah'm fine." She gestured toward Logan. "He heard me callin' for 'im an' was gettin' me outta what he thought was a bad situation. Ah don't do well in crowds. This was all just a misunderstandin'. Right, Logan?" She glanced back at him. He was still growling a little.
"Hnf." Logan grunted but didn't take his eyes off of Remy.
Remy stared back at Logan with a calculating look, as though aware he wasn't entirely sure what he was dealing with here. He seemed to have expected Logan to be down for a lot longer than he was.
They were starting to draw some unwanted attention as more patrons were leaving the market, and Rogue turned around, facing Logan and urging him closer to the Jeep. "Everything's okay now. Let's go home."
Rogue sighed and glanced back at Remy. She couldn't help feeling drawn to him for what he'd tried to do. In his mind he was rescuing a girl in distress, and she really couldn't fault him for that. Smiling tightly, she offered a wave good-bye.
When Logan pulled the keys from his pocket, Rogue reached for his hand. "Ah can drive." He passed the keys over without resistance, then got in on the passenger side and sunk down in the seat.
Rogue started the Jeep and pulled out of the parking lot, trying not to watch Remy from the rearview mirror as she drove away.
"I'm sorry, kid." Logan's rough voice startled her slightly as he spoke up when they were half-way home. "I kinda just lost it fer a minute."
"You were jus' tryin' tah protect me. You thought Ah needed help. It's okay." Rogue glanced over at him and smiled tightly.
He heaved a sigh and grimaced. "Think we can keep this jus' between you an' me?"
"Hmph." Rogue shook her head with a snort. "Ah doubt it. Besides, it's gonna be hard tah explain what the heck happened to your shirt an' why we ain't got any o' the stuff on 'Roro's list."
Logan cursed, apparently just realizing he'd abandoned all his shopping bags when he'd gone running for Rogue.
"You sure you're alright, Logan?" Rogue asked with concern as she noticed him fiddling with the charred edges of his t-shirt over his chest, going silent again.
"Hn?" He swung his gaze toward her distractedly, then furrowed his brows and gave a sharp nod. "M'fine. Blast threw me off my damn feet more'n anything. Jus' got the wind knocked outta me."
Rogue pursed her lips and nodded, not willing to press the issue any further. That wasn't exactly what she meant.
The next few minutes were quiet, and then she pulled into the Bayville Grocery parking lot, and Logan gave her a look. "We still gotta get the stuff Ororo needs for dinner right?" she asked as an explanation for the detour.
Logan shrugged.
"It ain't gonna be all farm fresh or anythin', but it'll hafta do." Rogue threw the Jeep into park and killed the engine, then held her hand out to Logan. "You still got the list?"
He reached into his pocket and offered her the crumpled piece of paper with Ororo's neat, scripted handwriting on it, along with a wad of twenty dollar bills.
"Ah'll be quick," Rogue promised, taking the list and money, then getting out of the Jeep. It kind of went without saying that Logan wasn't going in. He'd had enough of people today, and besides that, the large, burned hole in his shirt would probably turn a few heads. She left him the keys in case he wanted to put the air conditioner on, then scurried off into the store to grab what they needed and get out.
.
Logan was still sitting in the Jeep when she returned. He hadn't turned the A/C on and it was hot and stuffy once she got inside. He was sweating, but he hadn't moved. Rogue quickly started the ignition and put all the windows down all the way to let the hot air out while they waited for the vents to start blowing cold air. She knew how much Logan hated being confined, especially now, and was more than a little surprised that he hadn't left the car or even put the windows down while she'd been in the store. Rogue had to wonder if he'd been trying to punish himself for freaking out earlier by staying in the stifling hot Jeep.
Rogue didn't say anything to him, though, and the rest of the ride back to the mansion was silent. She'd turned on the radio, but other than that, there were no words between them.
Once she'd pulled the Jeep into the garage and they'd gone inside, Logan sneakily managed to dodge Ororo, dropping their grocery bags off in the kitchen and then disappearing out the back door moments before the Weather Goddess entered, Skye perched on her hip.
"Rogue," Ororo greeted with a warm smile. "You're back." She began to peruse the shopping bags, a furrow of confusion forming between her elegant brows. "This isn't from the farmer's market."
"Uh…no." Rogue smiled sheepishly as she began taking food items out of the bags. "Sorry, but…there was a bit of an issue at the market." She grimaced as soon as Ororo's sharp blue gaze flitted to her face. "I hope you can still use this stuff."
"I'm sure it will be fine," Ororo responded calmly, her tone dismissive. She adjusted the wiggling baby on her hip. "Now tell me, what happened at the market? And where's Logan?"
Rogue gave a concise explanation of the incident at the market, and when she was finished, Ororo simply nodded slowly with calm understanding.
"Are you alright?"
For a moment Rogue was taken aback by the question. She'd been expecting Ororo to want to find Logan immediately, but instead the older woman only wanted to know that she was alright. "Ah—Ah'm fine," Rogue finally stuttered out, pursing her lips and staring down at the countertop.
"The young man you encountered… He was a mutant?"
"Yeah." The teen nodded. "Ah've never seen 'im before."
Ororo nodded back at her. "I'll speak to Charles about him. He may be in need of our help."
Rogue just blinked slowly, confused. "Why do yah think that?"
"The way you described him, and what he was doing—hustling market patrons with card tricks… It seems that he may be a vagrant."
Not knowing how to respond, Rogue just nodded again. She took a look at all the food now laid out before them on the counter. "Yah need some help with dinner? Ah don't mind, an' Ah can get things started if you wanna go find Logan."
Ororo smiled with a slight tilt of her head. "Yes, I'd appreciate some help, thank you, Rogue." She strode toward the corner of the kitchen and pulled out Skye's highchair, strapping her in it and dragging it back toward the center island. The baby giggled and slapped her palms down on the plastic tray, a big drooly smile on her face. "Logan will come around when he's ready," Ororo added confidently.
"Yeah, Ah guess so." Offering a tight smile, Rogue leaned against the counter, waiting for Ororo to tell her what to do.
.
