Disclaimer: My characters and ideas are my possessions, belonging to me and only me. I don't own XME or anything associated with X-Men or a different company. Thanx.
Author's Notes: I'm sorry about not updating earlier. I had major writer's block. This is not the end! There is one more chapter, so please, do not weep. Just wanted to make that clear. I'm sorry I failed to mention in the beginning of this fic that Torpid can also touch because (the history I made up, hehehe) once she came to the Institute, Professor Xavier taught her to control her powers, just like he taught Rogue. Sorry about forgetting that.
Chapter 21: Shopping, Redemption, BABIES!, and SURPRISES!
Day 14/Sunday (Hurray!)
Beep. Beep. Beep. Logan pounded the "off" button on his alarm to clock to stop its annoying and incessant beeping. He kicked his legs over the side of the bed and sat up. His face was going numb, so he massaged it for a moment before he got up, disrobed, and hopped into the tub for a quick shower as he smelled like grease from working on his motorcycle the night before. He noticed a rubber ducky in with him and threw it out. One of the kids had probably forgotten it in his bathroom, but why they had been here, Logan didn't know.]
After his shower, Logan got dressed in a dull pair of gray sweats and a sweatshirt. He walked downstairs and into the kitchen where he saw Angel sitting at the counter with a cup of coffee in his hands. The black coffee poured smoothly into the foam cup and Logan breathed in its rich smells as he gulped it down.
"You ready?" Warren asked, taking his keys from his pocket and shaking them to make a small jingle.
Logan nodded his head. He quickly finished his coffee, crumpled the cup up into a ball, and executed the perfect throw into the garbage skills. 'I've got skill,' he told himself as he followed Angel out to the garage where they got in Warren's convertible since Logan's motorcycle still wasn't working.
The two men had made it to the Bayville Mall and were currently in a jewelry shop. "These are two of our best rings, sirs," a young man, about in his late twenties, told Logan and Angel. He handed them two white cases. Logan opened his up carefully and inspected it for any flaw. He studied each and every detail of the ring. This one had to be perfect. "You like?"
Logan made a scowling face, as his concentration had been interrupted. "I've got two words for you: how much?" he asked gruffly.
The salesman started to back away from the counter, afraid of the wild looking man in front of him. Logan stretched out his arms, gripped the seller's shirt, and lifted him off of his toes to give him a good scare. "I said, how much?"
"T-ttt-two grand," the man stammered. He then quickly added, "For each ring."
Wolverine was about to throw the ring back in the man's face. 'How can a stupid ring cost so much? I can get one for cheaper over the internet, but I don't have that long to wait. I could even get one cheaper from those toy machines, but then again, they're made of plastic,' he reasoned with himself.
The man interrupted his thoughts again. "But," he said. "I'll sell them to you for only one grand each ... if you promise not to hurt me and never come back."
Logan smirked. "Deal." He let the man drop back on his feet so he could ring up Logan and Warren's rings.
"You're very good a negotiating," Warren sarcastically complimented the other man walking beside him as they exited the little shop and made their way into the food court to grab some breakfast sandwiches.
Logan puffed out his chest proudly. "Just gotta know how to read 'em."
The other men at the Institute had been preparing for their wives' arrivals by cleaning up the Institute, their kids, and themselves.
Bring. The doorbell rang. Everyone gulped and sacrificed Scott to answer the door while they all stood behind him and cowered in fear. Cyclops took in a deep breath, unlocked the door, and slowly opened it. At the front of the mob of women was his wife. Everyone looked really mad, like they wanted to kill someone. But, Kitty looked by far, the maddest of them all.
Lance pulled Kitty into an embrace in an attempt to have her not bicker with him, but as soon as he touched her, she slapped his cheek. "How could you?!" she shrieked. Everyone turned their attention to the couple. Lance was about to speak when Shadowcat cut him off. "Don't speak. That way, your mouth won't, like, get you into more trouble then you're already in. I swear, if my power wasn't to phase through things, you would be so, like, so dead now." No one had ever heard the sweet and shy Kitty speak this way, so there was a complete and total awe/silence from everyone surrounding them.
"Baby, I—" Lance started.
"DON'T BABY ME! I DON'T REALLY THINK YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU DID WRONG! YOU LEFT OUR DARLING DAUGHTER AT HOME RIGHT AFTER SHE HAD A SEIZURE, WE'RE BEING SUED FOR WHO KNOWS HOW MUCH BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T PAYING ATTENTION WHEN YOU TOOK HER TO THE DENTIST, AND OUR SON WAS ALMOST KILLED IN A LION'S CAGE BECAUSE YOU, AGAIN WEREN'T PAYING ATTENTION? AM I MISSING ANYTHING?
"Wait," Lance said calmly. "How did you know about the dentist and Gavin in the cage?"
"STOP BEING STUPID! FOR GOODNESS SAKES, WE HAVE THREE TELEPATHS IN THE FREAKIN' HOUSE! THEY HEAR EVERYONE'S THOUGHTS!" she yelled, refraining from using bad language in front of the children. Lance threw daggers from his eyes over at Jean who just whistled and pretended to not know why he was angry with her. "You are on restriction," Kitty said in a dangerously lethal tone. "We'll chat about your punishment later. End of discussion."
After Kitty was done, the rest of the women turned to their husbands. "SIT!" they commanded them with such force that all the men were stunned and couldn't control their muscles, and just collapsed onto the floor.
The women's discipline speech went a little like this, "YOU CAN'T EVEN TAKE CARE OF YOUR CHILDREN FOR TWO WEEKS, AND WE DO IT EVERYDAY?! WHAT KIND OF FATHERS ARE YOU THAT YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE KIDS, BUT THEN A NINETEEN YEAR OLD GIRL, NO OFFENSE TO HER, CAN? ARE YOU MENTAL?! EVERY ONE OF YOU, FOR THE EXCEPTION OF YOU WHO DON'T HAVE KIDS, WILL BE GOING TO PARENTING LESSONS, AS IT SEEMS YOU CAN'T EVEN CONTROL YOUR KIDS. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED! ASHAMED!" They all shook their heads in dismay and shook their fingers in their husband's faces.
Suddenly, Torpid took in a deep and stomped her foot on the ground to get everyone's attention. Jean turned her head to the mute mutant and used her telepathy to communicate with the young woman. What's wrong? Are you okay? she asked with concern.
Torpid smiled. I'm fine, she replied. But ... the baby's coming. My water broke earlier, but I thought I just had an accident. Torpid was rather calm to be starting labor.
Jeans mouth was hanging open. Jamie stepped up to her and shook the older woman's shoulder. "What did she say, Jean?" he demanded of her.
She shook of the stun of the moment and announced, "The baby's coming!" Hank quickly got up from his seat and ordered Bobby to make a wheelchair out of ice to bring Torpid down in. Bobby did as he was told. Jamie helped his wife into her seat. Everybody followed Multiple and Beast down the stairs and into the infirmary, where Dr. McCoy told them to wait in the waiting room.
Hank had to call Colossus in to hold down BOTH of Torpid's legs, as the girl proved to be too strong for her petite stature and couldn't keep them down to push out her baby. Jamie held her hand and let her squeeze him as hard as she could as Beast kept yelling, "PUSH!"
Finally, after much work, a head popped out. Jamie smiled and encouraged her as she gave another push. Sweat dribbled down her face as she stuck her tongue out the corner of her mouth. Jamie wiped her brow for her. Torpid gave another good push and this time, the stomach came out.
"One more, Hun," Jamie said.
"PUSH!"Beast shouted from the foot of the bed. Torpid gave one last pushed and screamed without a squeak coming from her mouth. The baby's feet popped out and that was it. Torpid gasped for air and Jamie stroked her hand, telling her she did a great job.
"Jamie," Beast said to get his attention. "Would you like to cut your daughter's cord?" Jamie nodded, took the scissors from Beast, and cut the umbilical cord that attached the baby to his wife.
Beast wiped the baby off and handed it gently over to Torpid. He scheduled a few tests for the next day to make sure that its eyesight, hearing, and vocal chords were okay. He and Colossus then walked out to give Jamie and his wife and new darling daughter a little privacy. "What should we name it?" Jamie asked.
In sign language, Torpid signed, 'Chloe Jewel, as she is our precious gem.' Jamie nodded his head.
"Hank," he called to the blue, furry mutant.
"Have you decided on a name?" he asked, popping his head inside the door.
"Yes. Her name is ... Chloe Jewel Madrox."
Everyone had visited the happy couple and their newborn baby. After a couple hours, they left them alone and retired to the living room. The women were still a little angry at their husbands, but after the miracle of a birth, they were a bit more happier.
Logan bust through the door and looked around. The girls of the Institute were already back. He ran through corridors and into the living room where everyone was seated. He looked towards Storm and felt as strange peace come over him as he looked into her dark face and blue eyes. Her white hair fell over her shoulders in curls. She was absolutely beautiful, and not just that, she could also hold up and intelligent conversation. Ororo Munroe had many good attributes about her.
He stepped in front of her, his shadow casting over the book she was reading. "Logan," she said, looking up at him with disappointment written all over her face. "You weren't here when I came home. I can't believe you would be so inconsiderate of my feelings and—"
"Shut up," Logan said softly, grabbing her off the couch and forcing her into his arms where he kissed her with his whole heart pouring out from the touch of his lips.
She smiled up at him. "Logan!" she exclaimed happily. "What has gotten into you?" By now, everyone was staring at the two grown adults who were acting as if they were teenage lovers. The kids were disgusted and fled to their rooms, but the adults were deeply interested in where the conversation was going.
With one hand still holding hers, Logan knelt down, his head aligned at her knee. She put her other hand over her mouth as he pulled a white box out from his sweatshirt pocket. "Ororo Munroe, will you ... marry me?" he asked her.
Tears dripped down the older woman's face. "Oh, my! Yes! YES!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. She dropped down onto the floor and hugged Logan, almost choking him around his neck. Everyone around them clapped and started talking about the wedding and about how much preparation would be needed. It was definitely the perfect ending to what started out as a horrible day.
Where you surprised? Hope you liked it. See ya next time. – xmengirlzrule