Logan snuggled up closer to Tristan, who was holding her in his arms, stroking her hair and whispering soft words into her ear. Logan gave a deep sigh. "That was…amazing."
Tristan kissed her forehead. "It was."
Logan pulled away a bit and propped herself up on her elbow. She regarded him for a moment, a slight frown on her face.
Tristan reached up and pushed her hair behind her ear, mesmerized by how beautiful she looked, her creamy skin bathed in pale moonlight. "What's wrong, precious one?" he asked.
Logan looked down. "Do I…do I really mean anything to you, Tristan?"
Tristan reached out and gently moved her back into his arms. "You mean everything to me, Logan."
"I thought your destiny meant everything to you."
Tristan sighed. "Logan, please, don't make me choose between my life's work and my love for you."
"You love me?"
"I've been falling in love with you since I met you. It's hard for me to admit, especially after Maritheza, but it's the truth. Do you think I would've taken you to bed with me if I didn't?"
"Men on this planet often do."
"I never would."
Neither of them said anything for a while, but Logan could tell something was bothering Tristan. "What's wrong?" she asked finally.
"I am afraid of losing you."
Logan was startled by his blunt response. "Why?"
"Nothing's certain right now. I fall more in love with you with each passing day, but in the end, will that be enough? It wasn't enough to keep Mari with me…"
"Stop comparing us to what you had with her," Logan said. "I'm not going to die, Tristan. Face it, bub, you're stuck with me."
Logan thought she saw him smile a little at that. He pressed his lips against her temple. "I've told you I love you," he said between kisses, "Yet I haven't heard those words come from your mouth."
Logan sighed. "I love you, Tristan."
Tristan held her tightly, not letting go until the morning came.
*** *** ***
Eileen was busying making breakfast, as Ric sat in her kitchen, watching her. "You really don't have to bother with all this," he said.
She walked over and kissed him on the cheek. "Sure I do, handsome. Gotta show my appreciation for last night. Something can definitely be said for the stamina of the youth…"
"So tell me about Logan," Eileen said as she went back over to the stove to scramble the eggs.
Ric looked up with a start. "How did you know her name?"
"You said it in the bar," Eileen explained. "And in your sleep."
Ric blushed a little. "I did?"
"Don't worry about it. Not like I was expecting anything more than a night out of this anyway."
"I don't really want to talk about Logan."
Eileen fixed a plate and set it in front of Ric. "But I think you need to. It's obvious that whatever happened between the two of you is weighing on you."
"What are you, a shrink?" Ric asked.
Eileen laughed. "Actually, yes."
Ric's eyes grew wide. "You are? What in the world were you doing in a place like that bar then?"
"Hey, psychiatrists need love, too. Basically, I've been divorced for about a year, and I'm sick of the 'respectable' dating scene." She reached across the table and rubbed her hand against his lightly-stubbled cheek. "I wanted a man like you, Renegade."
"Glad I wasn't a disappointment," he muttered.
"You'd never done that before, had you?" Eileen asked.
Ric turned a deep crimson. "Could we maybe talk about something else?"
"Sure. How about Logan?"
Ric sighed. "You don't give up, do you?"
"Nope."
"There isn't much to tell. Basically, we had problems, and I had to end it for her own good."
"For her own good?"
"Yeah."
"Did she think it was good for her?"
"It doesn't matter. I know it was. And now Tristan can give her what I never could."
"You're jealous."
"You get paid to make observations like that?"
"Yes. And paid well at that."
Ric gave her a lopsided grin. "Then I'd have to say you're overcharging your patients."
Eileen laughed. "And I probably wouldn't argue with that claim. So this Tristan guy? He's with Logan now?"
"Most likely."
"Most likely?"
"Well, I don't know for a fact, but they seemed to be getting pretty close when I left."
"If you don't know for a fact, then there's still a chance you could get her back."
Ric sighed. "I told you, I'd hurt her."
"Love isn't all moonlight and roses, Renegade. The relationships worth keeping are the ones you have to work for. If it comes too easily, then odds are, it isn't real."
"But, I…"
Eileen cut him off. "Take it from someone who's older—who's been there. If you really love her as much as you seem to, then it'll work out. You're just going to have to work at it."
"You don't even know what our problem is."
"I don't have to." Eileen gave him a wry grin. "Haven't you ever heard the phrase, 'true love conquers all?'"
"I don't know about that."
"Good."
"What?"
"It's good that you don't know. You shouldn't know all the answers when it comes to love. Takes all the fun out or it. Now just go to Logan. Tell her you love her. If you don't want Tristan having her, then take her for yourself. Fight for the woman you love."
"I'm not sure…"
"Have you not been listening to a word I've said? Get up, get dressed, and get the woman you love. You'll be glad you did."
Ric knew Eileen was right. He stood up. "Thank you—for everything."
Eileen grinned. "It was my pleasure."
*** *** ***
"Logan, where have you been all morning? Marie and I have been looking all over for you!"
"Um, hello to you too, Kacie."
"You didn't go hide out in the woods again did you?"
"I have never gone out and hidden in the woods."
"Whatever you say, Addie…"
Logan glared at her blonde friend. "Trust me, I was not hiding in the woods. Or doing any other activity that involves sulking."
Kacie sobered for a moment, something that was rare for her. "Addie, are you sure you okay, really? I mean with everything…"
"I slept with Tristan," Logan blurted out.
Kacie stared at her in shock. "You what?"
"I slept with Tristan."
"Tristan—like Dark Angel Tristan?"
Addie rolled her eyes. "No, like one of the five million other Tristans I know—of course Dark Angel Tristan!"
"Oh my God, Addie, this is huge!" Kacie exclaimed. "What's this going to mean for you and Ric?"
"What's what going to mean for Addie and Ric?" Marie asked, walking up.
"She slept with Tristan!" Kacie said, pointing at Logan.
"You slept with Tristan!" Marie yelled.
"Shh!" Logan said. "Keep it down, all right! I'd rather the whole mansion didn't know about my love life. Although this being the X-Men, that's probably going to be a losing battle, but still. And as for what it means for Ric and me, well, that's a moot point since Ric ended it and obviously isn't interested in starting it up again."
"Um, Addie, I wouldn't be so sure of that…" Kacie said.
"What do you mean?" Logan asked.
"Ric came back," Marie explained. "That's why Kacie and I were looking for you."
"Yeah, and Billy told me that Ric told him that the main reason he came back is he wants to try to patch things up with you," Kacie said. "He's still in love with you."
Logan made a sound that somehow managed to be a cross between a sigh and a growl. "Why does he have such terrible timing?"
"So you're going to get back with him, right?" Kacie said.
"Yeah, I mean, Tristan's a great guy and all, but how much potential does that relationship have?" Marie said. "He doesn't even live in the same galaxy as you."
"I'm not getting back with Ric."
Marie and Kacie both stared at Logan in shock. "What?" Marie asked. "Why?"
"Look, I know a relationship with Tristan is not the most practical thing to want, but I don't care. Ric hurt me, and I'm not over that. I can't just run back into his arms and set myself up for heartache all over again."
"Ric's not going to hurt you again," Marie said. "He just made a mistake before"
"Marie, I know he's your brother, and you want to defend him, but I can't honestly convince myself that getting back together with him is the right thing to do."
"Logan…" Kacie began.
"This is my life, and I'm with Tristan now," Logan said. "Deal with it."
"Addie?"
Addie knew that voice, and she didn't want to look up, to see his face and run the risk of melting. She braced herself, and turned around, trying to avoid staring into Ric's eyes. "Hello."
"We need to talk," Ric said.
"We'll just be, uh…" Marie started.
"Not spying on you guys from the hallway," Kacie finished, running outside of the room with Marie.
Logan rolled her eyes and then turned her attention back to Ric. She willed herself to stay strong, concentrating on what she was starting with Tristan. She didn't need Ric, even if she couldn't shake the part of her that said he was her soulmate. "So what do you think we need to talk about?"
"Us."
"There is no 'us,' Ric." Logan noticed her words came out more bitter than she had meant for them to.
"Addie, I'm sorry. I made a mistake. I've had some time to think, and now I realize that I never should have let you go."
"It's too late for that, Ric."
"Addie, please—it can't be too late. I love you."
"Logan, is everything all right?"
Logan looked up to see Tristan in the doorway. She smiled and walked over to him, taking his hand. "Ric was just saying hello."
Tristan looked between the two of the incredulously. "Right. So are you ready, Logan?"
"Yeah. Go wait for me in the Danger Room. I'll be right there." She stood up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. Tristan nodded and left.
"Why are you meeting him in the Danger Room?" Ric asked, frowning.
"Tristan wants to train with me one on one a little bit to prepare me for helping him lead the X-Men into battle," Logan explained.
"Yeah, I'll bet he wants to train you 'one on one,'" Ric muttered.
"Oh don't worry, Ric," Logan said. "He's already done that." She winked and left Ric alone and fuming.
*** *** ***
Tristan was standing in the Danger Room when Logan came in, staring into nothingness. "Tristan?" she called softly. He didn't respond. "Tristan!"
Tristan turned around slowly, his dark gaze unnerving Logan slightly. "Something wrong?"
"Renegade wants you back."
Logan had hoped that Tristan wouldn't want to have this conversation, but she knew that wouldn't have been possible. "That's what he says."
"If you still love him, Logan, I don't want to be what prevents the two of you from getting back together," Tristan said.
Logan moved closer to him, only a couple of feet separating them now. "Would you rather me back out of this now?"
"I want you to be happy."
"Tristan," Logan said softly, taking hold of his hand, "I did care for Ric, but that's over. You're not what's keeping us apart."
Tristan lightly squeezed her hand. "I don't what to be something you regret."
"You're not, I promise. I do love you, and I don't regret what's been happening between us. Don't worry about Ric. I'm not going back to him."
"Do you still love him?"
Logan looked away. "No."
"Look me in the eyes and tell me you that do not love him."
"You're going to have to trust me, Tristan. Otherwise, this isn't going to work."
"Then maybe it's not going to work."
Logan looked up at him, her face pale. "Please, don't say that. I know you love me, and you want to be with me. Don't push me away like this, especially because of Ric. I promise you, it's over between us. Just let me have the chance to prove to you how much I care about you."
"I can't make any promises that in the end I'll stay with you, Logan. If my destiny calls me elsewhere, then I'll have to go. Ric could offer you more than that. Do you still want me?"
"Yes, Tristan, yes. I want you—even if it's only for a day, then that day will be the most wonderful in my life."
Tristan crushed Logan to him, kissing her with the same passion he'd showed her the night before. "I just don't want to lose you to him, Logan," he said when he pulled away.
"I promise you won't."
Tristan nodded. "Then I believe we have a training session scheduled."
*** *** ***
Marie sat in the den, sulking. "Hey, what's up?" Kacie asked as she came in. "You're not still upset about Logan turning down your brother are you?"
Marie sighed. "It's more than that, Drake," she said. "I guess I was sort of hoping Logan would call it off with Tristan because, well, because I…I like him."
"You like Tristan?"
"Yeah. I have since the beginning, but he's only had eyes for Logan. I know it's selfish to want them apart, but I really like him."
Kacie sat down on the couch beside Marie. "Look, I know Tristan's attractive and all, but there are two things wrong here. First and foremost, he's with Logan, and they seem pretty close. Secondly, you're only barely fourteen."
"Yeah, and Logan's not exactly much older."
"Logan's been through more than the rest of this team combined," Kacie said. "She doesn't exactly have the attitude of a normal sixteen year old."
"Logan is just as much a kid as I am—as both of us are!" Marie exclaimed. "And if I'm old enough to risk my life for the X-Men, aren't I old enough to care about someone the way I do for Tristan?"
Kacie sighed. "Marie, I didn't say you weren't old enough to care for Tristan, I just said that you're fourteen and he's, well, I don't know how old he is…"
"But wouldn't Logan be too young for him, too?"
"Probably," Kacie said with a smirk. "I'm not quite sure what I think about their relationship myself, but I know better than to stand between Logan and what she wants."
"I just feel so alone," Marie said. "I mean, I see you with Billy, Rebecca with Twister, Rachel with Warren, Angie with Nathan, Briana with Craig, and now Logan with Tristan. I'm the only single girl in this whole mansion!"
"You'll find someone, Marie," Kacie said. "Trust me, you have plenty of time. No need to rush it."
"I'm not saying I want to find the love of my life before I get out of the ninth grade or anything like that," Marie said. "I just want a boyfriend. I mean, people always tell me I'm pretty and everything, and yet I've never even had a real date."
"Damien liked you," Kacie pointed out.
Marie rolled her eyes. "I said I was lonely, not desperate."
Kacie giggled. "Damien wasn't that bad."
"Easy for you to say. He wasn't stalking you."
"Stalking? Don't you think that's going a bit over the edge?"
Marie crossed her arms. "No."
"Well, give it a little more time, and I promise you you'll find a boyfriend better than Damien."
Marie gave Kacie a small grin. "Can I have yours?"
"No way!" Kacie exclaimed. "I'm not giving him up! That man is way to talented to get rid of."
"Talented? Care to elaborate on that?" Marie asked.
Kacie ruffled Marie's hair. "I'll tell you when your older."
Marie glared at Kacie. "Ah, yes, you and your long sixteen years does make you sooo much wiser and more knowledgeable than me."
"I'll have you know that it's a proven fact that you learn over half of everything you ever need to know in the two years between fourteen and sixteen."
Marie rolled her eyes. "Riiight."
Kacie stood up. "Hey, I checked the roster and we're not due in the Danger Room for another hour and a half. What do you say we go downstairs and get some ice cream? I'm pretty sure there's some Death by Chocolate left."
Marie jumped up from the couch, her previous pouting over Tristan and Logan completely forgotten at the mention of a food with a high sugar content. "Lead the way, Oh Frozen One."
*** *** ***
"You know, you don't actually have to stay here," Craig said to Briana as she sat on the edge of the bed after one of Tristan's training sessions, rubbing her sore neck.
"Neither do you," she replied.
"I know, but I'm not in nearly as much pain as you appear to be in right now," Craig pointed out.
"Well, I don't have a healing factor. And if you didn't have one you probably wouldn't have made it through this week," Briana retorted.
Craig smiled as he sat down beside her, taking her hands of her neck and massaging it himself. "You're cute when you're annoyed," he said.
"You're not so cute when you're annoying," Briana replied, relaxing into his touch.
"I'm always cute, and you know it."
"That's a matter of opinion."
"Yeah, and I happen to know for a fact that it's your opinion."
Briana moved from under Craig's hands and turned to face him. "You know I care about you, don't you?" she said.
"Of course I know that," Craig replied. "And I'm crazy about you, Bri."
"I haven't been honest with you, Craig," Briana said suddenly, her words coming out in a rush.
Craig frowned, pulling away from her slightly. "About what?"
Briana took a deep breath, dreading what she was about to say, but knowing she had to say it. She'd lied to Craig long enough, and although that normally wouldn't have bothered her, with him, it was eating her up inside. "I'm engaged." Craig looked at her blankly, so she added. "I have a fiancé—back in London. His name's Howard Finningly."
Craig's expression was unreadable at first, but soon signs of anger began to show. "You're engaged?!"
Briana wanted to cry but forced back the tears. "Yes."
Craig stood up, carefully trying to reign in his temper. "So this was, what, you having a little fun during your vacation? Was I no more than someone to keep your bed warm while Howard was an ocean away? I can't believe I thought maybe you were more than everyone else said you were, thought maybe I was seeing something they didn't. You played me for a fool, Briana."
"Craig, I'm sorry," Briana said, her voice near pleading. "I do care about you—I meant that every time I said it. And I wasn't just toying with you. Okay, maybe I was at first, but not for long. This was real to me, Craig!"
Craig shook his head. "No. How can I trust you when you say anything between us was real. None of it was real. Every word that you said, every time we touched, it was all tainted with a lie."
Craig started to walk out of the room, but Briana ran to him, grabbing his arm. He spun around, and without thinking his bone claws came from his hands, staring Briana in the face. She gasped and stumbled back, the fear apparent on his face. Craig looked down at his claws for a moment, then retracted them, visibly shaken by what he had done. He glanced at Briana one more time before walking out of the room.
No sooner had Craig gone out the door, than did a series of alarms start to go off in the mansion. Kacie Drake ran by him. "Hey, what's going on?" he shouted out to her.
"The Dark One's here!" Kacie yelled. "He just landed in some mountains somewhere. Tristan wants us to try to stop him before he has the chance to attack any major cities. Go down and change into your uniform and meet us at the Blackbird."
Kacie ran off, and Craig turned around to see Briana walk out of the room, her face puffy from crying. "What's happening?" she asked, doing her best to look composed.
"The hyper blonde one just said the Dark One's here and to get downstairs and suit up."
Briana nodded. "Then I guess we better get ready then," she said. "Craig, when this is over I want to talk to you more."
"There's nothing to talk about," Craig replied before jogging off to prepare for the upcoming battle.
*** *** ***
Yeah, I know, I'm cruel. Ending it with a cliffhanger, giving you hope that Ric and Logan would work things out and then tearing them apart again. How can I stand to do it, you ask? Simple, I have a little notebook where everything that's going to happen in the lives of my characters is plotted in a nice little outline. So there's no suspense for me. *grin* Anyway, I promise you everything will turn out okay eventually—sort of—so keep reading!
Also, I'm going to start book three as soon as I'm finished with this, so I'd really like some feedback to know where you, the reader, would like me to go after this. Maybe you can sway me to change my mind with some things. :-)
