Archive: Dolphin Haven.
Feedback: Sure, bring it on. Praise, flames or otherwise. I can take it.
Author's notes: The sequel to "It hurts me" & "Smooth criminal". Final story in that little series and is inspired by Mesh's song by the same name (well, the title is stolen from there at least...). I'm sorry but I'm afraid this chapter is a bit cliche' (more than a bit really) and not at all realistic but the fic needed some closure and I couldn't think of a better way to wrap it all up. Guess I was a bit impatient... so take it as it is, okay?
Second note: I know, I know. I should have uploaded this chapter-wise instead of separate stories but since I forgot that with the earlier stuff in this storyline I'll continue forgetting that *g*
Logan was on a vigil. He knew that physically Marie would be fine and not just because Jean had told him so. It's not like he didn't trust her but he trusted his instincs and senses far more than anything else. When he's sort of calm that is which he had been very far away from being when he had brought Marie down to the medlab. He had been much closer to hysteria truth be told and hadn't even noticed much of what his senses told him.
Yeah, he did know that she would survive this ordeal. He wasn't at all sure in what state she would be though, psychologically speaking. She's been through a lot lately and Logan didn't know if she would be able to trust anyone of the male gender anytime soon, or ever really. All he knew was that he wasn't ready to give up on her. Not now. Not ever.
He wasn't usually what even during the best of circumstances could be said to be a patient man but when it came to Marie he'd wait for as long as it takes for her to be her old vibrant, positive self again. Even if it would take waiting until the end of time itself.
He wasn't quite sure for how long he sat by Marie's bed until she slowly but surely started to regain consciousness but he wasn't surprised that her initial reaction to him being there was to recoil and hiding under the blanket. That's when he cursed his selfassuredness when he had talked to Jeannie before and realized he didn't really know what to say to Marie to make her feel better about herself and that she's better of without the jerk that had hurt her so much.
But he hadn't needed to worry since for once his mouth went of talking without him even trying to find the words. He had never been, as far as he could recall, a talkative man but this time the words just seemed to flow. Later on, when thinking back on it, it never ceased to amaze him how that had happened. To be sure, he wasn't sure if it was the words themself that had made a difference or if it was that Marie needed some soothing words from someone no matter who or if it was him saying them. Maybe a combination. It didn't really matter though since it seemed to be working.
"It's okay Marie. It's just me. You're safe here with me" was the first
thing that came out and he had to restrain himself from moving over to
her, realizing that she may be spooked out by that. It wasn't an easy
thing for him to do but he managed to do it.
"Yeah? What about...him".
She wasn't even able to speak his name and Logan once again cursed, this
time for letting the creep of too easily.
"He won't ever hurt you again. He's probably halfway to Europe by this
time."
Seeing the look of disbelief in Marie's eyes he continued "I made sure
of that, with some help by Jeannie."
Okay, that was a little white lie since Jeannie hadn't been able to help
with the ass-kicking bit but what she had done was just
as valueable if not as direct but Logan figured that Marie may feel a
bit better if she felt that it hadn't been just two guys fighting
over her, in a manner of speaking at least. It seemed to work too since
she visibly relaxed. Both of them let silence reign for a while and
neither bothered by it at all. It was more of a comfortable silence
between two people that knew that sometimes there's no need for words.
Some months later
Logan and Marie's been hanging out for quite a lot since she was
released from the medlab, their friendship having grown closer and
closer all the time when Marie finally found the courage to ask a
question that had been on her mind for a while.
"Logan?"
"Yeah?"
"Aren't you, you know, disappointed in me?" she said but very
hesistantly, showing in no uncertain terms that she was ashamed of
herself and Logan knew immediatly to what she was refering to.
"No, no. Not at all. I won't lie to you though, It hurt a lot to see how
he was treating you and that you seemed to accept it. I just didn't know
how to make you see reason and God knows I tried."
Marie mulled that over a bit before answering "I know. That's why I
thought you would be disappointed in me."
"Never. It could have happened to anyone."
"You think so?"
"Yeah. You really did love him didn't you? And hoped he would change?"
"Yeah. And I think he loved me too."
"If he did, he had a damn funny way of showing it."
Marie just went silent at that for several minutes and Logan knew better than to break the silence until she was ready to keep on talking, which he felt was soon to come. Like she had to let it all out now or never.
"Yeah. He seemed to take me for granted or something. Oh, I dunno. Maybe
I got toxic skin for a reason."
"Nah, none of that. You've got it under control and if he couldn't
treasure you like every man with brains should it's his loss."
"Hmph. Yeah, I got it under control but still. Apart from you, he's the
only one that was not afraid of me losing control of it. And stop saying
things like that. You're making me blush damn you!"
"In that case, all the other boys and men here are damn fools."
"I said stop it."
"Why?"
"It makes it sound like you like me and want to date me."
"Who says I don't?"
"You. You've never shown any interest in me like that before."
"I have. You've just not noticed it or I was too subtle. What do you
say? Wanna give this geek a shot?"
"Why not?" she said with a playful look in her eyes, "Who could resist
you?"