Bobby slumped into a chair as soon as he got into the bedroom. What had just happened? Had he just lost the woman he loved?
Bobby thought over what had been said in the hallway. She had been adamant about not sleeping with Wolverine, maybe he had jumped to conclusions. Then again, she'd been coming out of his room after being gone all night…
Bobby sighed as he got out of the chair. Maybe he should at least listen to what she had to say. Why throw away what he had with Rogue based on circumstantial evidence?
He opened the door and looked out into the hallway. He saw that Rogue was still sitting by Logan's door, only now, she was in his arms. Bobby slammed the door, knowing that now, it really was over.
*** *** ***
Rogue pulled away from Logan when she heard a door slam. She looked down the hallway. "I think Bobby saw us," she said.
"Is that a problem?" Logan asked.
"Well, about ten minutes ago he was my fiancé," Rogue replied.
"You told me you're still in love with me," Logan said, kissing her up and down her jaw line. "Come back to me, Darlin'."
It was all Marie could do to keep from moaning at Logan's touch. She couldn't remember a time when he'd seemed sexier. "You'll…you'll hurt me again," she said, trying to keep focused.
"No I won't, Baby," he said, lifting her off the ground and into his arms. "You're gonna have to trust me."
"But how can I?" Marie asked as he started carrying her into his bedroom.
"Easy. Just love me." Logan put her down on his bed and took off her shoes and jeans.
"Logan…I'm tired and my head hurts."
"I know, Darlin'," Logan replied, pulling the covers up over her. "Get some rest. We'll talk more when you feel better."
Marie nodded, already drifting off to sleep.
Logan left her alone, shutting the door almost silently behind him.
*** *** ***
Bobby knew he'd have to face the world eventually, so after a few hours of sulking he resolved to go downstairs. Maybe he could go out and find a bar and get drunker than he'd ever been before. Why not just sit back and let his life become a country song?
He was on his way to the front door when he walked past one of the mansion's many dens and saw Wolverine inside the room, sitting on the couch and smoking a cigar. To Bobby, he seemed to be radiating arrogance, and the young mutant had never felt angrier in his life.
"You're not supposed to be smoking in here."
Logan looked up at Bobby standing in the doorway. "What do you want, Kid?" he growled.
"Besides getting the chance to spit on your grave? Not much."
Logan growled. "I ain't in the mood for this now."
"Oh, that's right, you have had a bad day, what getting the woman you love stolen by the man that's walked all over her a million times before. Oh, wait, that was me. Never mind."
"I didn't steal her from you."
Bobby glared at Logan defiantly. "What would you call it then?"
"If anything, she went t'me willin'ly."
"Why? Why after everything you've done to her would she run back into your arms like this?"
"I don't have an answer for that."
"You know, don't you?"
"Know what?"
"That you don't deserve her."
"Yeah, I know that."
"Then why are you doing this? Why couldn't you have just stayed away? I could've made her happy."
"Obviously not, since it sure didn't take her long to go back t'me."
Bobby fought to keep himself in check, knowing that Wolverine could make very short work of him. "She won't stay with you."
"What makes you say that?"
"Sooner or later she's going to realize what a bastard you are."
"And let me guess, when she does she'll go runnin' back to you."
Bobby shook his head. "Probably not. But it's still enough to know that one of these days, you're going to lose her, too, and then you'll be just as miserable as I am."
"You can wait for that to happen all you want, Drake, but Rogue's never gonna leave me."
"You say that now, but one of these days, you're going to push her too far."
Logan stood up. "That's a real nice prediction there, Kid, but right now I got a beautiful woman asleep in my bed and I think it's about time I went back up to her." He snuffed out his cigar out on the palm of his hand, put what was left of it his pocket, and pushed his way past Bobby.
Bobby left the mansion even more determined to find a way to drown his troubles than he had been before.
*** *** ***
Marie woke a few hours later to find herself wrapped up in Logan's arms. "I thought you left the room," she said.
Logan kissed the top of her head. "Good to see you, too."
"I didn't mean it like that. I just didn't expect you to be here when I woke up."
"I know."
Rogue reached up and placed her hand on his chest, only to catch sight of her engagement ring. "I guess I should probably give this back," she said, slipping it off her finger.
"You do want to give it back, don'tcha?" Logan asked.
"Yes. I want to be with you."
Logan took the ring from her and set it on the bedside table. "Well, you got me, Darlin'."
"Logan, I want you to answer something for me, and I don't want anything but the absolute truth. I have to know where I stand this time."
"What do you mean?"
"How long until you leave this time?"
"I ain't leavin', Marie."
"You really mean that?"
"Yeah, I do. I've been miserable ever since I walked out of your life. I can't loose you again."
"I'm giving up a lot to be with you, Logan," Marie told him. "I do want to get married some day and start a family. I could've had that with Bobby. Don't make me regret walking away."
"I won't, Marie. I'm here for you, I promise." He wrapped his arms around her, urging her to move closer.
Marie moved into the embrace. "I missed you."
"You won't ever have to miss me again, Darlin'."
*** *** ***
"I'm sorry, Rogue, I just can't support you in this."
"Jubilee! You're my best friend!"
Jubilee sighed. "I know, but I'm sick of it. I'm tired of sitting by and watching you do this to yourself over and over again. And what you did to Bobby…"
"I explained to you what happened."
"I don't care what happened, Rogue, the bottom line is you hurt him."
"I didn't mean to hurt him!"
"But you did. You turned your back on him as soon as Logan came back."
"No! Jubilee, please, it wasn't like that! My relationship with Bobby would've ended whether or not Logan came back. I didn't love him enough to marry him!"
"Fine time to decide that, after the engagement. Why didn't you say no when he proposed then?"
"Because I didn't know!" Rogue exclaimed. "I was confused when he asked and I thought I was doing the right thing."
"Well, you weren't!"
"I know that now."
The two women just stared at each other for a moment until Rogue finally broke the silence and said. "Jubilee, please, don't do this to me. I can't lose your friendship over this. You mean too much to me."
"Look, I'm not going to stop being your friend. You mean a lot to me, too. It's just, well, I'm not going to be there for you like I've been in the past. I'm not going to be in favor of this relationship you're in now in any way shape or form, and I'm not going to be there for you when Logan leaves again."
"Logan isn't leaving again."
"Riiight. And I'm going to sprout wings and start flying around the mansion."
"He isn't. He promised me he wouldn't."
"Oh come on Rogue. We both know that a promise from Wolverine is worth less than Monopoly money."
"I believe him this time."
"You know, you'd think with the life you've lead you'd be at least a little bit jaded by now, but no. You're still nothing but a naïve little Southern Belle."
"I don't need this from you, Jubilation."
"Yeah, well Bobby Drake didn't need you taking away everything he wanted in life."
"Well you know what, I don't live my life for Bobby Drake. I care about him, and I'm sorry he's hurting, but I'm not going to be miserable just so he can live in his little dream world."
"It used to be your dream world, too, Rogue."
"No, it wasn't. You don't get it, Jubilee. I loved Bobby, yeah, and we had a nice little relationship while it lasted, but there was something missing. A spark that just wasn't there for me. It's there with Logan."
"Big deal. So he lights your fire or whatever," Jubilee said, waving her hand in a dismissive gesture. "What's so important about that anyway?"
"Everything! The feelings I have for Logan, they make me want to live. When I'm with him, nothing else matters but the fact that we're together, and I know that no matter what, I'll be all right in the end. Why can't you just be my friend and accept that I love this man?"
"Because he isn't right for you!"
"That isn't your decision!"
"He'll hurt you again!"
"Maybe he will." Rogue said, giving Jubilee a look that let her know she wasn't giving in, "But that doesn't matter. "Being without Logan hurts. So why should I pass up a chance to be with him and be happy, even if it's only for a little while."
"Because if you were with Bobby then maybe your happiness wouldn't have to end."
"Have you not listened to a single word I've said?" Rogue asked, throwing her hands up in despair.
"Yes, I have, but none of what you're saying makes any sense to me."
"Then don't try to understand it. Just accept it as the way things are."
"Rogue…"
"I'm not discussing this any more, Jubilee. Either you are my friend or you aren't. You can't put boundaries like this on a friendship."
"And I can't stand here and watch you throw your life away for Logan."
"Then I guess you won't have to."
Rogue walked away.
*** *** ***
"Here for the rest of your stuff?" Bobby asked as he opened the door for Rogue.
"Yeah." She took her engagement ring out of her pocket and handed it to him. "This is yours."
Bobby took it from her. "Gee, thanks."
"What do I have left here?" Rogue asked.
"Hmm. Let me see," Bobby said, walking over to the closet. He opened it up. "Well, this is probably yours," he said, throwing out a dress. "Yeah, this, too." He pulled out what was left of Rogue's clothes one by one and threw them across the room at her.
"Bobby? What's wrong with you?"
"What's wrong with me? Nothing, Babe, just getting your clothes out for you. You've been slowly moving out of here for a week. I figured I might as well speed up the process a little. Would it be easier if I threw everything out into the hallway?"
"Why are you suddenly acting this way?" Rogue asked.
Ever since after the initial break-up, Bobby had been reasonably amicable towards her, not pleading with her to stay or even yelling at her for leaving him. He'd been helpful when she'd come over the last few times to get her things to move over to Logan's room. Rogue had been afraid the other shoe would drop from the moment she noticed that Bobby was taking things relatively well, and now it appeared that it had dropped hard enough to put a hole in the floor.
"'Why are you acting this way?' she asks." Bobby threw his hands up in the air. "What, you can't figure it out. For the past week you've been flaunting your relationship with Logan, hanging all over him, smiling lovingly every time he walks in the room, and basically ripping into pieces whatever you left me with when you stomped all over my life. And everyone's been saying how nice it is of me to let you go, not to make things difficult for you.
"Well, why the hell should I not make things difficult for you? You've made things pretty damn difficult for me. Did you stop and consider my feelings when you got drunk out of your mind and somehow found your way into Logan's bed? Why should I try to keep from causing you any extra pain now?"
"Bobby, I didn't mean to hurt you! And for the last time, nothing happened with Logan that night!"
"You know what, Rogue, I don't give a damn anymore whether you slept with Logan or not. It's no longer my problem who or what you fuck." He threw a couple more articles of clothing at her. "Get the hell out!"
Rogue gathered up what she could of what Bobby had thrown at her and ran out of the room.
*** *** ***
Marie moved past Logan as soon as he opened the door, tossed the pile of clothes she was carrying on the ground, and threw herself on the bed.
"Uh, this is probably going to sound like a dumb question," Logan said. "But are you okay?"
"No."
"That's the answer I was expecting." He sat down beside her on the bed and lifted her head so it was resting in her lap. "Wanna tell me what's wrong?" he asked, petting her hair and shoulder.
"I've been having what has to rank up there as one of the three worst days of my life, right after when I discovered I was a mutant and lost everyone I cared about, and when I was kidnapped and almost killed by Magneto."
"What happened?"
Marie sniffled, and Logan looked down to see she was crying. "Oh, well, first I got in this huge fight with Jubilee because apparently she isn't 'willing to support' my relationship with you."
"What business is it of hers?"
"None, but she thinks she can force me to correct everything she sees as a mistake."
"Is she still your friend?"
"I have no idea. Right now I don't even want to have to deal with her."
"So what's with the huge pile of clothes?"
"Oh those are from the other fun part of my wonderful day. Apparently, Bobby's tired of being nice to me about all of this. He flipped out on me today when I went to get the rest of my stuff from our—his—room."
"I'm sorry, Darlin'. I never meant to cause all these problems for ya."
"I know, Logan. And I'm not blaming you for any of this. It's just that Jubilee and Bobby have been close to me for a long time, and I hate to think I've lost them."
"You didn't think that Bobby was actually going to be fine with you leaving him did you?" Logan asked.
"No, well, I guess not. It's just that he's been okay the past few days, and I didn't expect him to go ballistic on me and start throwing clothes at my head."
"He threw clothes at you?"
"Yeah. They alternated with the insults."
"What made him finally decide he was angry?"
"Apparently he was sick of watching us together and pretending nothing was wrong for my sake."
"So he decided to take the exact opposite approach?"
"Looks like it."
"Are you going to be okay?"
"Yeah." Marie sat up. "Logan, can we go out tonight? I don't want to be here right now."
"Sure, Darlin', where do you want to go?"
"I don't care. Just any place but here."
*** *** ***
Marie looked around the restaurant Logan had taken her to. "Wow," she said. "No cigarette smoke, no bar flies, no unidentifiable, unpleasant smells. This is quite a change for you, Logan."
"What, I can't take you some place decent now and then?"
"I'm not complaining. Just a little surprised."
"Would you rather go some place else?"
"No, this is good."
"You look really nice tonight, Darlin'."
"Now that's gotta be just flattery. After the day I've had there's no way I can look anything but haggard."
Logan grinned. "You always look beautiful to me."
"The Wolverine a smooth-talker. Who woulda figured?"
"Smart mouth."
"When have I not been?"
"Well, let me think. Not any time since you met me." He laughed. "I can still remember you lookin' up at me and askin' me 'what kind of name is Wolverine.'"
Marie laughed, too. "I didn't think it was any better of a name than Rogue."
He took her hands in his. "Yeah, well, when we're together we're just Logan and Marie."
Marie smiled. "I like there being someone I can still be Marie with. Sometimes it's hard to be Rogue."
"I'll bet." Logan reached into his pocket and pulled out his dogtags. "Here. I want you to have these back."
Marie took them from him and slipped them over her head, smiling at their familiar and reassuring feel around her neck. "You know, I'm glad to be wearing them again."
"They look good on you."
"You just like it being this obvious that I'm yours."
Logan shrugged. "Yeah, well…"
"I like being yours, you know."
"I know."
"What is it made of anyway?" Marie asked, fingering the chain.
"What makes you ask that?"
"Well, um, see I was really mad at you once, so I threw them at my wall and they made this pretty nasty little hole."
Logan chuckled. "It's adamantium, Darlin'."
"That stuff that's all over you bones?"
"One and the same."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Wow. No wonder you're unbreakable."
"Yeah, no wonder."
*** *** ***
Marie walked into the mansion with Logan to their room feeling more content than she remembered ever feeling before. Even with everything that had happened to her that day, just being with Logan somehow made her feel like all was right with the universe. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they walked to their room, and she couldn't believe that only a couple of weeks ago she had been going to marry another man.
As soon as they got inside, Logan grabbed Marie before she could switch on the lights. "Y'know," he began, kissing her down her neck and across the top of her shoulder with every word, "I…must…be…the luckiest…man…in…the…world."
Marie giggled. "I'm a pretty lucky woman myself."
"I think we're both about to get luckier," Logan growled against her ear.
"Oh? What makes you say that?"
Logan hoisted her up into his arms and carried her over to the bed. Marie sighed in contentment. She knew then what true bliss was.
*** *** ***
Rogue watched as her class filled out of the door. "Don't forget to read the chapter on the fall of the Mesopotamian Empire!" she called after them, doubting any of them paid her a bit of attention.
One of her students peeked her head into the door. "Hey, Miss Rogue, your boyfriend is coming down the hallway. May I just say he is one mighty fine lookin' man."
Rogue giggled. "Yeah, I know. Now get on to your next class. And don't forget your reading assignment. Just because homework isn't written doesn't mean it's nonexistent."
The student gave her a thumbs up sign and said "You got it!" before darting out the door.
Logan walked in a moment later. "Well, if it isn't the mighty fine lookin' man himself," Rogue said with a smirk.
Logan raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"
"That's what one of my students just called you."
"I'm flattered."
"So what brings you down here."
"Haven't seen you all day since you were gone before I woke up," Logan said. "Oh, and to tell you that a pipe burst above us and our room got flooded."
Rogue turned pale. "What? Please tell me this is your version of a joke."
"Wish I could. Don't worry, nothing was ruined. Everything's a little damp, the carpet's soggy, and there are these really loud fans everywhere drying it all out, but other than that it's fine."
"Where are we sleeping tonight?"
"The Professor set us up in one of the guestrooms. He said we can stay there until ours dries out."
"Is there anything in our room that I can salvage for the time being, or is it all wet?"
"I went through your clothes, found the driest, and brought them over to the other room."
"You are so wonderful."
"I know."
"So where is this other room?"
"I'll meet you after your last class and we can walk there together."
"All right, that works. My next class should be walking through the door any minute now, so I'll see you then, okay?"
"Sure thing, Darlin'." Logan leaned across her desk and kissed her. "Love you."
"Love you, too."
*** *** ***
"So exactly how bad is our room?" Marie asked once she'd settled into the guestroom.
"Let me put it this way," Logan said. "Every time you walk on the carpet you hear a squishy sound and water flies up and hits you in the face."
"Did you just say 'squishy'?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
She burst out laughing. "That's funny."
"How is that funny? That's the sort of sound it makes. Squishy."
Marie laughed harder.
"Hey, this is serious, you know. The carpet might have to be replaced."
"Why do you care? It isn't your money."
"Good point."
"Say it again."
"Marie…"
"Please?"
"Squishy," Logan muttered under his breath.
"You're so cute."
"Glad you think so."
"So how long will our carpet be squishy?" Marie asked, trying unsuccessfully to stifle a giggle.
"I'm never going to live that down, am I?"
"Not as long as I'm around."
"So I guess I'll be hearing it for a while, since I certainly don't plan on making it so you're not around any time soon."
"I should hope not!"
Logan smiled at her. "So you like the word squishy, huh?"
"It's so cute when you say it!"
"You know, I don't think anyone but you has ever referred to me or anything I do as 'cute.'"
"That's because with you, 'cute' is an understatement."
Logan raised an eyebrow. "Understatement?"
"Yep. Greek god-like gorgeous fits you a bit better."
"Okay, now that's an overstatement."
Marie shook her head. "Nope. You are the sexiest man I have ever seen."
"Don't get out much?"
She lightly hit him on the arm. "Logan…"
Logan took her by the hands and lightly pulled. "C'mere."
Marie smiled and let him pull her into his lap. She snuggled up against his chest. "I like it here," she said.
"I like you bein' here."
"So never stop holding me, okay."
Logan hugged her to him tighter. "You got yourself a deal, Darlin'."
*** *** ***
The next day Marie went alone up to the squishy-floored room to survey the damage and make sure Logan didn't forget anything she needed.
She was only in there for a couple of moments when the telephone rang. She picked up the receiver.
"Logan?" the voice at the other end of the line asked before Marie even had a chance to say hello.
"No, this is Rogue. Who's calling?"
"Can you get me Logan?" the strange woman asked. Marie noted that she had a very definite Asian accent, most likely Japanese.
"He isn't here, but I can get him to call you back if you'll leave your name and number."
"My name is Mariko Yashida, and Logan knows my number. Tell him he must call. It is urgent."
There was a click and the other woman was gone.
Marie hung up the phone.
*** *** ***
Logan got home late that evening to find Marie waiting up for him. "Hey Baby," he said. He leaned over and tried to kiss her, but Marie moved away.
"What's wrong?"
"Who's Mariko Yashida?"
All the color drained from Logan's face. "Where the hell did you hear about her?"
"She called you earlier."
"Did she say what she wanted?"
"No. Just that it was urgent."
"Dammit." He went over to the phone, practically pushing Marie out of the way to get to it. He dialed the numbed quickly and from memory. The ensuing conversation was in Japanese, which prevented Marie from understanding anything but the inflection in Logan's voice. That alone, however, was enough to make her sit on the edge of the bed and glare at the back of his head the whole time he was talking to Mariko.
"I have to go," Logan said as soon as he hung up the phone.
"What!?" Marie yelled, jumping up. "You can't go!"
"I have to."
"Where? For how long?"
"I can't tell you."
"No! Logan, you promised you wouldn't do this again."
"I'm sorry. I didn't know at the time that something like this was going to happen."
"So what, some woman calls and all the promises you made to me go out the window? What, am I just your girl at this port?"
"Marie, dammit, you know you mean more to me than that! Now I don't have time for this shit right now, so don't pull it."
"Logan, I don't think I'm the one acting irrationally here. You say you love me, that you want to be with me, and you won't ever leave me, then the next thing I know you're going off and you won't even tell me where to."
"It's just better if you don't know where I am."
"Can't you at least tell me how long you'll be gone?"
"No."
"You promised you wouldn't leave again."
"Look, Darlin', I'm sorry I have to break my promise to you, but this is real important. Mari needs me to help her out."
Mari… It sickened Marie how much like her own the name he called her was. "Well then go to Mari," she spat. "I don't give a damn anymore."
"Marie, please don't. I need to know you're gonna be here for me when I get back."
"When will that be?"
"I don't know."
"Can you answer me one question then?"
"Maybe. What is it?"
"Is she an old flame?"
"Marie…"
"Answer the fucking question Logan!" Marie yelled, suddenly so angry she was shaking.
"Yes. I loved her once."
"Great. Now I feel so much better about you leaving."
"You asked, Marie."
"You're an asshole."
"I've never denied that."
"Just get out. If you'd rather be with her than me, then fine, go. I don't care anymore."
"Marie, it isn't that I want to be with her more than you! I love you! It's just I have to help her. I can't turn my back on her."
"Why not? You've turned your back on me plenty of times."
"Not when it really counted."
"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?"
"Marie, I don't have time for this. I have to be on the next plane outta Westchester." Logan went over to the closet and grabbed out a bag that was already packed, thanks to the disaster upstairs that had made him move all his stuff.
"I won't be gone forever," Logan said. Marie was sitting back on the bed, her face hidden by her hands. Logan knew she was crying. He reached his hand out, almost touching her. "Marie…"
"Go."
"Marie, please."
She looked up and ripped his dogtags from her neck, throwing them at his feet. "Get the hell out!"
Logan gave her one last look before leaving.
As soon as he was gone, Marie slumped from the bed to the floor. She grabbed the dogtags and clutched them tightly, crying the way she had years ago when Logan loving her had been nothing but a dream.
*** *** ***
To be concluded…