A/N: I do not own any of the lyrics used in this piece. Also, I have borrowed other characters from the Lois and Clark Tv series, but they are only mentioned once, and the movie versions of Peter Parker and Mary Jane, only for plot purposes those characters are now married. Enjoy the story.
The bridal party arrived at the hall, a banquet room, in a local hotel, after a round of pictured in the church and another in a Westchester park. After a few church shots with Marie, Cliff, and Cliff's parents Logan's role was over. Until of course, the obligatory dance with the bride. It was tradition after all that the bride's father to dance with her at the reception and Logan assumed he would fill that role in her father's stead. After all, he had given her away.
While Marie, Cliff, and their attendants were off in the bridal room awaiting their introductions, Logan gave the bartender reason to earn his hourly pay. The hotel bar offered a wonderful twelve year old Scotch which he planned on consuming in amazing quantity. If only he could be a fly on the wall when Cliff got the bar bill.
Logan was so deep in thought and whiskey he didn't notice Kurt until he tapped his shoulder, "I am proud of you," the German said.
"Huh?" Logan had no idea what the man was talking about.
"You handled this very well, Logan. Better than I could have," Kurt clarified his meaning.
"What would you know about it?" Logan asked his sorrow in his stance and tone.
"More than you would think," Kurt replied.
Before Kurt could explain, the band's vocalist, who would also serve and the evening's emcee, began announcing Marie and Cliff's bridal attendants. They entered the room in pairs and lined up men across from women in the middle of the dance floor. Finally, in a clear radio announcer type voice, he boldly announced, "And now, ladies and gentlemen, for the first time as husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Welmont."
A big band type of wedding march played against the applause of the onlookers in the room as a smiling Cliff and Marie appeared in the hall and walked through an archway made of clasped hands and flowers.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the emcee announced, "at this time we ask you gather round for the first dance Cliff and Marie will share as a married could, to a little tune by one of my favorite duos, the great Barbara Streisand and Bryan Adams, I Finally Found Someone.
I finally found someone, who knocks me off my feet
I finally found the one who makes me feel complete
It started over coffee, we started out as friends
It's funny how from simple things, the best things begin
This time is different (la, la, la, la)
It's all because of you (la, la, la, la)
It's better than it's ever been
Cuz we can talk it through
My favorite line was can I call you sometime?
It's all you had to say
To take my breath away
This is it
Oh, I finally found someone
Someone to share my life
I finally found the one to be with every night
Cause whatever I do
It's just got to be you
My life has just begun, I finally found someone
Ooh, someone
I finally found someone
Ooh…
Did I keep you waiting (I didn't mind)
I apologize (baby, that's fine)
I would wait forever
Just to know you were mine
Ya know, I love your hair
(are you sure it looks right? )
I love what you wear
(isn't it too tight)
You're exceptional
I can't wait for the rest of my life
Oh, this is it
Oh, I finally found someone
Someone to share my life
I finally found the one to be with every night
Cause whatever I do
It's just got to be you
(oh, yeah)
My life has just begun
I finally found someone
And whatever I do
It's just got to be you
Ooh, my life has just begun…
I finally found someone
Logan watched as Cliff held Marie in his arms and swirled her around the dance floor. Logan couldn't help but think he and Marie danced better than that. It looked like Cliff was manipulating Marie's movements like one would a marionette, their movement wasn't fluid, wasn't drive by their souls, by the one's intimate knowledge of the other. It looked like what Logan feared, the commander and the commanded and Marie was the latter of the two and that upset him. No, it did more than that, it scared him.
The dance was done and as Logan expected Marie was asked to remain on the dance floor, "Now," the emcee was saying "we'd like to invite Marie's dear friend Logan onto the dance floor to share this special dance with her."
Logan stepped onto the dance floor and took Marie's hand. He didn't like the spotlight, he didn't like being dressed up or dancing, but with Marie, for Marie, he'd do anything.
Logan held Marie close to him as the strains of Celine Dion's Because You Loved Me began to play. This song was so perfect for them he though, so very perfect. The words seemed to define what Marie was to him, and he hoped what he was to her.
Logan leaned close to Marie's ear and whispered, "Congratulations."
"Thank you," Marie replied, "for doing this, for filling in for my Dad. It wouldn't be the same if you weren't here."
"I'll always be here," Logan told her, "I'm done running, Kid. I ran too long, and now it's too late. Too late."
"It's never too later to tell someone you love them," Marie replied. Logan barely realized he'd spoken that last phrase out loud.
"Sometimes it is, Marie," he replied, and traced her cheek with his thumb as he listened again to the words that described them both.
For all those times
you stood by me
For all the truth that you made me see
For all the joy you brought to my life
For all the wrong that you made right
For every dream you made come true
For all the love I found in you
I'll be forever thankful baby
You're the one who held me up
Never let me fall
You're the one who saw me through, through it all
You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'coz you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me
You gave me wings and made me fly
You touched my hand I could touch the sky
I lost my faith, you gave it back to me
You said no star was out of reach
You stood by me and I stood tall
I had your love I had it all
I'm grateful for each day you gave me
Maybe I don't know that much
But I know this much is true
I was blessed because I was loved by you
You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'coz you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me
You were always there for me
The tender wind that carried me
A light in the dark shining your love into my life
You've been my inspiration
Through the lies you were the truth
My world is a better place because of you
You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith'coz you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me
You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith'coz you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me
It was true, Marie had stood by him, she had led him to the truth, that there
were people who cared, places to be safe.
She had brought him joy and had given him love, only he'd been too
stupid to realize it. It was obvious
now, too late, that they were each other's strength, each other's voice, and he
wished for Marie to have that with Cliff if not with him.
He looked into Marie's eyes, those beautiful eyes that said so much. She was his eyes, when he was too blind to see what he should be doing she saw it, only he through it back in her face. He deserved the pain he was in now for the pain he caused her.
"Why did you pick this song, Marie?" Logan asked as the dance drew to a close.
"Because it's nice," she replied, refusing to give in to his query.
"Not because it's true?" he pressed before sending her into a spin at the last strains of the tune.
"It can't be true anymore," was her reply before she quickly kissed his cheek and vacated the dance floor so Cliff could dance with his mom.
Logan sat at the table with Scott, Jean, Kurt, the Professor and some of the other older X-men and endured Cliff's dance with his mom, the toast by the Best Man, the toast by Ororo and the endless string of romantic and party dances. He ate his steak in silence, endured endless amounts of glass tapping and kissing, all the while drowning his sorrows in Scotch.
"Your silence is deafening, Logan," Xavier said, as he quietly watched him. He knew the pain Logan was feeling and he didn't need his telepathy to notice it.
"Well, don't listen," Logan replied, knocking back his twelfth glass of Scotch that night. Even with his healing factor he was beginning to feel buzzed.
"Cliff won't hurt her," the Professor tried to assure him.
"I'm not so sure about that," Logan replied with a sigh.
"Logan," the Professor began, but Logan cut him off, "With all due respect, Chuck, my Marie instinct is a little better than yours." With that, he left the table to head for another Scotch.
"And now, we'd like to ask our lovely bride to take center stage again and all you gentlemen out there who can boast you knew her when, can form a circle around her. We'd like to give you all a chance right now to have that coveted dance with the bride."
Logan moved to join the circle that was forming, mostly consisting of X-men, but a few relatives Marie had introduced earlier as cousins from Meridian. Logan couldn't help but smile as the song played and he watched Marie moved freely with friends and family.
Well the bride looked a picture in the gown that her momma woreWhen she was married herself nearly twenty-seven years beforeThey had to change the style a little but it looked just fineStayed up all night but they got it finished just in timeNow on the arm of her daddy she's walking down the aisleAnd she catches my eye and she gives me a secret smileMaybe it's too old-fashioned but we were once close friendsBut the way she looks today she never could have thenWell I can see her now in her tight blue jeansPumping all her money in the record machineSpinning like a top, you shoulda seen her goI knew the bride when she used to rock and rollI knew the bride when she used to rock and rollI knew the bride when she used to rock and rollI knew the bride when she used to rock and rollMarie smiled and laughed as she was passed like a football from Bobby to John to Kurt to a man she'd introduce as Cousin Fred. Logan couldn't help but laugh, he remembered night's before Liberty Island when Marie would be dancing alone in her room and he'd catch her do her dirty dancing, he called it. Those were times to remember now.
Now a proud daddy only wanna give his little girl the bestSo he put down a grand on a cosy little lovers nestYou could have called the reception an unqualified successAnd a posh hotel for a hundred and fifty guestsWell I can see her now drinking with the boysBreaking their hearts like they were toysShe used to love to party, she used to love to goI knew the bride when she used to rock and rollI knew the bride when she used to rock and rollI knew the bride when she used to rock and rollI knew the bride when she used to rock and rollWell I can see her now with her headphones onJumping up and down to her favorite songShe used to love to party, she used to wanna goI knew the bride when she used to rock and rollI knew the bride when she used to rock and rollLogan found that he was moving to the funny little song and smiled to himself as he saw Professor Xavier get out on the dance floor and pull Marie into his lap. After a few moments of whirling about on his wheelchair, he deposited her in front of Scott, who gladly took his turn.Finally it was Logan's turn and slightly buzzed by liquor he twirled and whirled Marie until Cliff was invited out by the emcee to finish the dance.
Take a look at the bridegroom smiling pleased as pieShaking hands all round with a glassy look in his eyeHe got a real good job and the shirt and tie is niceBut I remember a time when she would never even look at him twiceWell I can see her now drinking with the boysBreaking their hearts like they were toysShe used to love to party, she used to love to goI knew the bride when she used to rock and rollI knew the bride when she used to rock and rollI knew the bride when she used to rock and rollI knew the bride when she used to rock and rollI knew the bride when she used to rock and rollI knew the bride when she used to rock and roll
As Logan watched Marie dance to the end of the fun loving song with her husband, his stomach turned. While she was with the others she was happy and carefree, now she was reserved and proper, just like the poor bride in this song. She was so restricted with Cliff, so refined, and that unnerved him.
Logan resumed his brooding at the bar after Marie's turn was over and Cliff was out there dancing with the ladies to SoulMan. He looked up in surprise when a pretty blonde sat next to him, "You're the Wolverine" she said.
"Um," Logan grunted, "you caught me."
"I'm Mary Jane," the woman said, "Mary Jane Parker."
"Well, hello, Mary Jane Parker," Logan said, "I'm Logan. You here alone?"
"No, no," she replied, "My husband is with Charles Xavier."
The light bulb went off in Logan's head, Parker. "Parker, as in Peter Parker?"
Mary Jane nodded, "You looked lost. You look like you've lost."
"Yeah, well," Logan's gaze fell on Marie now dancing once again with Cliff.
"It's not over till it's over," she smiled at him, "I almost married another man before I opened my eyes."
"Yeah, well, almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades," Logan replied, "and Marie's eyes were open, mine were closed." He rose from his seat, "Excuse me."
"You don't have to pretend with me Logan," she told him, "I'm her friend, and I'm your friend too."
Mary Jane's words were lost on him, she wasn't a friend; he didn't have friends. Instead of replying he walked away from the bar and out to the patio.
Mary Jane felt her husband's hands on her shoulders, "Any luck?"
She shook her head, "Nope. Jean was right, he is stubborn. I just don't understand why Charles, Jean, and Scott don't tell Marie their fears."
"Did you listen to me when I warned you about some of your boyfriends? Did Lois listen to Clark?" Peter asked.
"Well, no, but…" Peter cut her off, "Then enough's been said. Come on, let's go join the Kents."
Marie saw her friend Mary Jane talking to Logan and she saw him skulk off in the direction of the patio in to the dark night. Marie knew Logan and how much he was hurting, she saw it in the eyes, but this deed was undoable.
Marie excused herself from where she was talking to Jubes and Kitty and joined Logan on the back patio, "Beautiful night," she said surprised her voice startled him that he keen senses didn't detect her scent.
"I suppose," he slurred, his rapid Scotch consumption slowing his healing factor.
"You're drunk," Marie said trying not to show she was displeased.
"I'm not drunk, I don't get drunk," Logan countered, "I had a Scotch. More than one. A few."
"Okay," Marie drawled, "Listen, um, I just wanted to say I'm sorry, I know how you feel now and I…I should have um, followed my heart, but…" Marie paused and struggled against tears, "But I couldn't I…"
Logan didn't turn around to face Marie; he couldn't look at her and betray his own emotions, "It's done, Marie. There's no point or reason for apologies now. Let it be. Let me be."
"I'm sorry I hurt you, Logan" she whispered, "And I'm sorry I didn't wait for you to realize what we had, I'm sorry I let you down, that I'm not who you thought I was, I'm so sorry Logan. But you let me down too."
With that Marie's footsteps started moving away from Logan; back to the reception, back to her knew life.
Logan remained on the patio until somewhere in the distance he heard the emcee announce that Marie would be tossing her bouquet and leaving for her honeymoon in Hawaii. Logan knew then he had to get out of there.
Logan couldn't watch that. He couldn't watch Marie go off with Cliff and start her life, so he retreated to the parking lot hoping to put distance between him and the hotel. No such luck however. Before he made it to the other side of the large lot, he heard cheering and clapping. He tried not to look, but he had to look. And then he felt it, the crack in his heart ripping, dividing it fully into two pieces. The emotional pain blinded him, and his life's blood made it worse. If only his blood wouldn't flow through his body, he could escape the pain, or at least ease it.
With tears in his eyes, Logan unsheathed one long claw and used it as he had so many times before, to bleed. If he bled himself, some of the poison running inside of him could escape and he could breathe again.
He raised the claw and aimed it where the ache was the greatest, his heart. With a powerful thrust he plunged the cold metal into his chest, piercing skin, artery, and organ. He felt his blood flow, felt it seep out of him, and felt his pain die as he slipped to the cement, unconsciousness mercifully claiming him. As Logan gave in, weakened by alcohol and blood loss, he uttered one final word, "Marie."
