DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.
A/N: Big thanks for the reviews, those make me so happy!
Drusila1987: Thanks for the long review. You're right Logan's threat to destroy Laura's book was cruel, but I think Logan wouldn't / couldn't do a full 180 turn that fast, after all threats are the way he's used to deal with kids/students.
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CHAPTER 51
Winter had finally arrived and a few snowflakes had covered the green lawn over night, but the warm rays of the rising sun would make them melt away till noon. Laura had been bewildered about the change the scenery had over night and bugged her parents during breakfast in the dining hall, until Logan gave in eventually and grabbed his bacon in one hand and Laura around her waist – tucking her under his arm to his side – and carried her out in the garden. There the toddler inspected the white and cold substance under the watchful eyes of her father and the rest of the mansion, who observed the scene from the warm dining hall.
Logan chuckled about the awe on the girl's face and chewed the last slice of bacon, before scooping up some snow from the marble floor and dropping it into the back of her sweater. Laura squealed and jumped, her small hands grasping her back trying to remove the snow that had already molten on her warm skin. When the shudder stopped, the girl faced her chuckling father with angry eyes, folding her arms over her chest.
"Don't make such a face, kid! Was just fun!" The feral swiftly fetched more snow and ruffled the girl's hair with it, making her squeal and flinch away.
With an angry scowl on her angelic features, Laura scooped up some snow and threw it towards her father, the soft flakes raining down on the ground before Logan's feet.
The Canadian's laughter hollered through the garden as he picked more snow up, forming it to a small ball. "You have to do it this way, kiddo! See?" He threw it lightly at the child's stomach, not really hurting her.
Laura's gaze darkened and she did as her father had showed her. When her ball hit her father in the chest – he hadn't moved away on purpose – a small smile of triumph tucked at her lips.
"Good shot, Laura!" praised Logan and had already another ball in the making.
The toddler's eyes widened at the upcoming assault and fetched some snow before starting off onto the lawn, a scream escaping her lips.
Inside, Marie smiled at the snowball fight and picked her baby up, cradling her to her chest and pointing out the window. "Look, honey. Do ya think we should help Laura?" Becca waved her tiny fists and gargled happily. The brunette smiled and kissed the white hair on the baby's forehead. "Fine, but we'll fetch a coat for you and Laura first."
"Don't forget we'll meet in an hour for the ride to the mall!" Jubilee reminded the young mother.
"Ah won't!"
"If you do, we'll just go without you, chica!"
Marie walked away, but turned around slightly. "Hardly, Logan's driving!"
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The Canadian had dropped his three girls, Bobby, John, Pete, Kitty and Jubilee at the mall, threatening the boys to never leave his girls out of their view if they valued their lives, and then had headed for the next bar, enjoying the company of his old friend Jack Daniel's. His own Christmas shopping could wait a drink and a smoke.
Laura let herself fall back onto her butt, sitting to the feet of the three boys and blew her cheeks. "It's booooring! I wanna go, Rogue!" She whined again and kept from screaming through the whole store – Rogue had told her that good little girls wouldn't raise their voice and her father had explained that screaming wouldn't make things to happen faster or her will.
"I thought we came here to have some fun?" Pyro scoffed, his fingers opening and closing his Zippo all the time, for him a calming movement and sound, for everyone else it was the opposite.
Kitty shot him a glare and moved towards the fitting room. "Will you finally stop it?"
"Just ignore this prick, chica," said Jubilee through the closed curtains of another fitting room while Marie dug through a bargain table in the kid's section, a cranky Becca on her arm.
"We'll leave in a minute, sweetie." The brunette called over her shoulder and re-focused on her inner conversation. 'C'mon, sugah, think. What do ya want for Christmas?'
'Dunno… You in that lace lingerie…'
A picture of herself in nothing but that black silk popped up before her mind's eye and she could feel a primal lust flood her senses. 'Logan! Not here!' Bending forward, Marie let her long salt and pepper hair fall over her face, hiding her flushed cheeks. 'Would ya please give me a serious answer?'
She heard him grumble in her mind. 'Christ, Marie. It's the first Christmas I'll remember celebratin'…' His words brought a pang of sadness to her heart and his voice became gentler at their mix of emotions in their shared body – her body. 'I give a shit 'bout the festivities, darlin'. I wanna see those bright smiles on your and the girls' faces. I ain't need no presents. Just you and the girls to be happy.'
Marie rolled her eyes, a soft smile gracing her features. 'That's mah line, sugah.'
'But it's true. I want to spend the holidays with just my three girls… and maybe a good cigar and beer.'
"Finally!" Marie exclaimed and tore the gazes of her friends to her. 'I'll get you really good booze and cigars, sugah!'
Bobby, like the others, gave her a disbelieving stare as she held up a black leather mini-skirt for little girls their parents want to dress them like little Lolitas or dominatrix. "You ain't serious, Rogue?"
"Wolvie might like to do chics in those outfits, but I doubt he'll be thrilled to see his daughter in something like that." Jubilee was worried about her friend's sanity and survival instincts – Wolverine already freaked when they dressed Becca in a blue romper suit, he would skin them alive if he saw Laura in black leather.
Marie faced her friends puzzled, still wrapped up in her inner conversation, and her gaze slowly followed her classmates' to her hands and the skirt there. Her eyes widened in shock and she threw the cloth back onto the heap of last season's leftovers, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. "Umm… Ah …" Her eyes races over the other skirts, dresses and bikinis, until a beautiful pink swimsuit set caught her interest and she picked it up, whirling around for her friends to see. "Ah meant this one of course!" She stared back at them like they were nuts, hoping they would buy her lie.
Kitty just left the fitting room in a long red dress, clinging to her body – she didn't miss the look on Pete's face - but her gaze travelled to the young mother all others were staring at. "Ooh, that's so cute, Roguey!"
Marie smiled and glanced onto the price tag and the size. "Hey, it's just for the half and it should fit Laura!" Her eyes centered on the toddler, who looked ready to flee. "Come here, Laura, let's try this on, sweetie."
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After their shopping marathon for clothes and Christmas presents, a stop in a bistro and a long stay in a toy-store that finally the boys seem to enjoy – they could hardly tear them away from the Playstation and Wii – they were waiting in the little park near the mall for Logan to pick them up. Despite the light snow this morning, the afternoon was rather warm and dry and so it was the first time for Marie to visit a playground with her girls.
John and Bobby checked out two girls a few years older, going on a walk with their dogs, while Colossus watched the many shopping bags perched on a bench next to him, sharing glances with Kitty once in a while, when they thought no one was looking.
Shadowcat and Jubilee made little figures with sand molds Rogue had also found in the back of some shelf in a toy store while Becca sat in their mid and had an incredible fun punching her fists into the sand-animals. "Hey, I'm not as fast as you, Becca!" Kitty complained playfully as she revived a dolphin, that ended smashed as soon as she had removed the plastic mold. Becca giggled and teetered back and forth, waiting for the Asian to finish the sand-shell.
Marie watched from atop the slide her best friends play with her baby-girl. The past few minutes she had spent sliding with Laura on her lap, but now her older daughter felt brave enough to try it on her own and so she remained on the top-floor of the wooden castle-tower, gazing down. When her eyes returned to her older girl a moment later, they widened in disbelief and horror at the stick the girl tossed towards Bobby and John – who were too far away and wrapped up to notice.
Immediately the young mother slid down. "Laura, put that down!" Marie rushed over to the toddler, who didn't obey. "Laura! You won't throw things at people!" She snatched the small stone from the girl's hand.
"But tat boy do!" Staring annoyed at the teenager, Laura pointed at a little boy maybe two years older than her, throwing sand and sticks towards the kids on the swings.
"Ah don't care what that ill-bred idiot does, Laura! YOU won't do that! You could hurt people bad!" Marie screamed down at her. They were allowing their girls almost everything, but this was a no-go and she should understand this right away.
Laura was near tears now, not used to see Rogue so angry with her. "Sorry."
Marie's features softened and she crouched down, hugging the child. "Is fine, baby-girl. Just don't do it again." She was about to get back to her feet, when something hit her on the back. Angrily she turned around to see the boy scoop up more sand to throw at them. With resolved eyes the teenager strode over and picked the boy up, making him let the sand fall from his fingers and a light squeal escape his lips. "Where's your mom?"
"Let go, bitch!"
Marie ignored him and shifted the little body, so he was now hanging from her arm that was slung around his middle. "Where is your mother?" The brunette asked again and walked towards the benches, Laura following her. When all mothers but one stared in her direction, but didn't react in any other way, Marie decided that the one not interested in the children's doings must be the boy's mom. She stomped towards the tarted up young woman in her early twenties, who had been busily flipping through a magazine while talking to some Bernice loudly on her cell.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing with my son, slut?" The faked blond eventually screamed and bolted to her feet when her attention finally turned towards her child, as he screamed for her.
"Ya call me a slut? You should keep an eye on your son, than to entertain the whole playground with your stupid theories about 'Desperate Housewives'! He was throwing things at people!"
The woman pulled her son in a slapdash fashion from Marie's arm, not caring if she hurt him. "Don't tell me what to do! You should better keep an eye on your panties 'fore you litter your next brat, you little whore!"
"Come again?" Marie stared perplexed at the other woman, feeling her inner Wolverine's temper wanting to slash out at her. It was a good thing that her mate wasn't near the park at the moment. But before the brunette could do or say something, a small foot had connected with the blond's shin.
"Don't be mean to Rogue!" demanded Laura and her green eyes burned into the woman that was now about to hit her.
"Ya won't lay a finger on mah girl!" Marie had the other mother's wrist in a vice like grasp, twisting her arm slightly. Kitty had picked up Becca and she and the other students of Mutant High approached the scene, supporting their friend. All of them were impressed by the fire and resolve they saw eradiate from their shy classmate.
"That brat needs to be taught some discipline! … Ouch, slut!"
A half laugh escaped Marie's throat. She struggled with her own temper and that of Logan's psyche to remain calm and polite – at least mostly. "Ya're kidding me? Your kid is ill-bred!"
"At least he calls me Mom, you bitch!"
"Ya're so good at coming up with relationship theories," Marie spit sarcastically. "Didn't cross your single brain-cell that she ain't mah daughter?" The other woman stared at her confused and Rogue let go of her hand with a final squeeze. "Ya better stay away from us!" She turned around with a final snarl – Logan was definitively rubbing up on her – and took her daughter by the hand. While walking away, Marie looked down at the toddler. "Laura, ya won't kick people, ya hear?"
"OK."
"But thanks, sweetie." A warm smile was on her lip as she ignored the stares of the other mothers and their children.
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The incident with the rude woman kept Laura busy as she sat on a swing, Pete pushing her. She observed the other children, running to their mothers asking them for a cookie or a juice or their help to tie their shoes. And the mothers patting their children's heads or hugging them when they fell, or hovering their hands next to their toddlers when they climbed on the jungle-gym. And suddenly the girl understood the meaning of a dad and a mom.
There were so many mothers on this playground, but no other woman was looking out for her like Rogue did. And Laura herself wouldn't run to anyone else but Rogue to ask for her sweets or help if she had to pee.
Her green eyes wandered to the teenager and Becca sliding – the baby on her lap, the same position as Laura had sat in a few minutes before. Suddenly the toddler had to verify her theory and let herself slide down from the swing, her hands grasping the chain, so her feet were dragged over the sand beyond. She jumped from the wooden seat and rushed over to the end of the slide, waiting for Rogue to arrive.
Worry took immediately a hold on Marie as she saw the scowl on Laura's features. She wasn't the only one to feel that something was up with the little girl as her friends also closed the distance and gathered around them. She shifted Becca, cradling her against her shoulder, and kneeled down to be on eye-level with her mate's clone. "Is something wrong, sweetie?" She asked alarmed as the girl continued to stare at her intently.
"You are my mama, aren't you?" Laura asked innocently with her huge green eyes.
Marie was like frozen by this question, but soon a warm feeling spread in her gut and a smile graced her lips, reaching her bright chocolate eyes. She placed her free hand on the girl's small shoulder. "Ya can call me mama if ya like, Laura." When the toddler nodded, her face mirroring her happiness, the brunette pulled her daughter into a tight embrace. A moment past by – all eyes on them – and Marie whispered in the girl's ear – loud enough for her classmates to hear. "Ah love you, baby-girl."
Laura felt her mother's lips brush a tender kiss onto the crown of her head and the girl slung her arms tighter around the teenager's neck, breathing in her flowery scent. "I love you, too, mama!"
Marie heard an approving purr in the back of her mind, before something – or someone pulled hard on her hair. "Ouch!" She pulled away from Laura, but the pain didn't vanish, her eyes centering on her other daughter, currently fisting her white bangs. Opening her tiny hand, Marie brushed a kiss onto Becca's forehead. "Hey, no need to be jealous, honey. Ah love both of ya equally."
The baby liked to have her mother's attention back and blew a bubble, while Marie pulled both her girls back into a loving embrace, Laura wrapping an arm about her sister.
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A/N: Comments please!
