Ff and Cassandra: Thank you!
Hip-Ban: Lol. I haven't decided yet.
Snoob: I know what you mean. I love those tragic tales. Have you ever read Oedipus the King by Sophocles?
Chaos: It is creepy. But I love creepy. Lol.
Beanie: Well, I guess you're just going to have to wait and see, my friend.
Blix: Yep, now the prologue has entered the scene. Yet, was that the future…or what the future could hold? Don't know, yet.
Pine: Yeah, I don't know about you but I just don't go around sharing my pizza with just anyone. Lol. We're talking a serious commitment here. Lol.
WantDreams: If it's not a cliffhanger but you still want to know what happens then, I must be doing something right!
Blue: Oh I think he's one of the two sexiest men alive. sighs
Anime: Thank you very much. And I'm glad I haven't lost you along the way.
L: If you love chemistry then you'll love this chapter!
Chapter Ten
Reminiscing
Marie, ignoring proper lady etiquette, devoured her slice, the grease burning her mouth and dribbling down her chin. She moaned in pleasure, closing her eyes as she savored the taste of melted cheese, spicy meat, garlic tomato sauce, and crisp dough. If Heaven's anything like this, she thought, then sign me up.
She felt a napkin stroking her face and her eyes flew open, harshly being reminded that she wasn't alone. And that death may not be too far off.
Logan wrinkled the napkin up in his large hand and tossed it aside. "I never pictured you as a messy eater."
She raised her eyebrows. "And you've pictured me eating before?"
He chuckled. "Well…no, I guess not."
They ate in silence, huddled over the pizza box, which was resting between them on Logan's bed. Marie took a glance around, noting that his room was much like hers in design and size. In fact, it was pretty identical to hers: no photographs, personal items, or nick-knacks decorated the room. It was as barren as she felt. The only noticeable difference between her room and his was the pair of crumpled jeans tossed precariously near the large, cedar dresser. Surely if he weren't careful, in the dead of night he would trip on them on his way to the bathroom.
Logan cleared his throat, drawing her attention back to him. His dog tags had slipped out from underneath his white T-shirt and now dangled out in the open. Marie tentatively reached across the small space between them, massaging the dull metal between her slender fingers. Engraved on the tags were a serial number and a name: Wolverine. Logan flinched, his hand instinctively coming up to grasp the only link to his past, entrapping her hand, which still held the dog tags.
Her hand now imprisoned under his, her olive eyes snapped up to stare into his coffee-lime orbs. She was drowning in the sea of his intense emotions. For a man who guarded his heart with a steel fortress, he was at the disadvantage for his eyes were the depths to his soul.
"I'm sorry," she murmured throatily.
Logan yanked the metal pieces away from her and shoved them back under the protection of his shirt. He eyed her somewhat coldly, but with a mixture of regret and understanding. He reached across the bed and pulled open his nightstand's drawer, retrieving a pack of cigars and a lighter. He lit up, sucking on the poison and wishing it affected him the way it did others.
Marie glanced down at the remainder of the pizza, uncertain what to do.
Logan gave her a strange look before leaning back against the headboard. "So, how'd you meet Iceman anyway?"
It was Marie's turn to recoil. She glanced up at Logan. "A case. They loaned me out to the FBI at times, especially with a case dealing with serial killings. I was sent to New York where a string of murders had taken place. Obviously the government didn't know what the victims were or otherwise the case would've been pushed under the rug."
"What do you mean?"
"They were mutants: all of them." Marie fell back against the headboard, the pizza between them utterly forgotten. "When I touched them, I found that their killer was a mutant, too. A large, hairy man with sharp fangs and unbelievable strength."
"Sabertooth," Logan growled.
"I don't know. He never gave his name to any of his victims. And I can only know what they saw and heard."
"So Iceman was there because?"
Marie pulled her knees tight against her chest, resting the side of her face on them. "He just kind of showed up. I was walking late one night to my motel room when I was attacked."
"By who?"
"The killer. Then Bobby came out of nowhere and placed my attacker into a thick cocoon of ice. He told me to lock myself into my room; that he'd handle it." Marie laughed lightly at the memory of her knight-in-shining-armor. "I didn't know what to do, so I did as I was told. A few minutes later, there was a knock at my door. It was Bobby. We hit it off, but I never thought I would see him again. But…surprise! He showed up in Mississippi the day after I returned home. And I fell in love."
Logan nodded more to himself than her. "He talked about you in passing," he admitted. "I don't think that Bobby wanted to mix his X-man life with you. But he let things slip every now and then."
"What kind of things?"
"Little things. I don't remember anything specific."
"Oh," Marie sounded disappointed. Then she perked up with bitter anger. "So when will I get to go on missions?"
Scrambling to catch up with the sudden change in conversation, Logan stuttered a moment before shrugging. "I have no idea. Awhile. Why?"
"I want to be the one to kill Stryker," she answered vehemently.
"Get in line," Logan grumbled, taking another long drag of his cigar.
Marie paused, her eyes shifting to his hands. "He did that to you didn't he?"
Logan peered down at his knuckles. "Yeah," he muttered.
"That's what you meant about the experiments. I could tell you were one, but I didn't know…" Marie tenderly caressed the hand closest to her, not surprised when Logan jerked it away. She gazed up at him, gingerly reaching for his hand again. "I'm not going to hurt you," she whispered, teasing.
He allowed her to touch him this time, clenching his teeth and focusing on his cigar as she stroked his knuckles.
"Do they hurt," she asked softly.
"Every damn time," he murmured.
"I'm sorry," her voice was nearly inaudible and maybe if Logan didn't have his sensitive hearing he would've missed it all together.
He gently pulled his hand away. "Not your fault, kid."
Marie gazed up at him and in that moment she understood. He didn't call her 'kid' because he was reducing her to a child…he did it because he didn't want to get to close…because he feared that little light inside of him she'd seen when she'd touched him the night he came to get her…
He feared falling in love.
End Chapter Ten
Oo, oo, oo…what do you think? Are things beginning to heat up or what?
