Chapter Four
Tension
After spending an hour struggling with Charlie, trying to get him to bed, Rogue got fed up and marched through the connecting doors. "Logan, help me. He's bouncing off the walls in there."
Logan released a frustrated sigh and ambled into his son's room. Charlie was running around his train set, clapping his hands to god knew what. Great. My kid hears music in his head. "Charlie," Logan barked. "What have I told you about disobeying your mother! Get in that bed right now!"
Charlie froze and then scampered over to his car shaped kid's bed. He scaled over the side and flopped onto the mattress. He stared up at his dad, his eyes hurt. Logan groaned and walked over to properly cover the toddler. "Why do you give your mom a hard time, kid? She's tired. She doesn't want to have to fight with you. And I don't want to have to yell at you." He tucked the blankets around Charlie's small body.
Charlie grabbed one of his father's hands and placed a kiss on his palm. Logan swallowed hard. He hadn't expected that: or the wave of emotions that washed over him. How could he be so angry and yet so in love with the little boy who now gazed up at him with adoring eyes? Unable to resist, Logan bent down, placing a soft kiss on top of Charlie's brown hair. "You're something else, kid. You know that?"
Charlie smiled. "Night."
"Night." Logan drew away, closing the door softly behind him.
Rogue was changing into her satin nightgown, a soft grin gracing her face. "He loves you so much, Logan."
Logan shrugged. "Yeah, well…" He yanked off his shirt and pants. "What have you heard about this trip the others are taking? Why didn't they include one of us?"
"I don't know," she moaned. "And I don't care." She crawled under the covers. "They'll tell us when they get back. If it were important they would've let one of us know."
Logan followed suit, draping an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. "But it must be important. Why else would they all go? I don't like this, Rogue. I don't like not knowing what the hell's going on."
Rogue patted his hand. "Don't worry about it. At least not tonight. Just go to sleep. We'll look into it in the morning."
His entire body ached. He felt as if a wrecking ball had repeatedly hit him. He knew that He was to blame, but he couldn't remember why.
What was it this time? Did I look at him funny?
He shifted, crying out in pain.
Ok, forget moving. I'll just lay here in the mud.
An angelic face crossed across his vision and he wanted to weep in joy, but restrained himself. There was no true reason to be thrilled about seeing her. She never did a thing to stop it.
But she did so much too make it feel better.
Suddenly the earth began to quake and he grabbed at the woman, trying to keep her from falling as the earth opened up.
"No," he cried as she slipped between his fingers and plunged into the crevice, into the boiling lava below. "Damn it, no! No! No! You promised you'd never leave! No!"
Logan bolted upright in bed. What was it about these dreams? They weren't horrifically frightening and yet…they terrified him. He felt as if he should understand them; that they meant something to him.
A cool hand ran down his back and Logan hissed. He glanced back at his wife to find himself staring into her worried eyes. "It's nothing, Marie. Go back to sleep."
"The hell I will." Rogue sat up, her hand traveling from his back to his chest. "What is it, Logan? The experiment? The Statue of Liberty?"
"No, damn it," Logan growled. "I don't remember, ok?"
Rogue huffed. "You can lie to anyone you damn please, Logan, but not me! I'm your wife damn it!" She caressed his chest and neck, her anger softening. "Please, Logan, tell me what it is."
"Nothing," Logan grumbled. "I can't figure it out myself. How the hell do you expect me to explain it to you?" He climbed out of bed.
"Where are you going?"
"Out for a cigar. Don't wait up." Logan donned on his jeans, snatched his worn leather jacket, and left.
End Chapter Four