Marie stared at the dent behind the headboard that was disappearing as the compound she applied dried on it. She responded to a knock on the door by calling out "come in" without looking up.

Jubilee entered, "Hey chica...how's it going?"

Marie forced a smile as she glanced at her friend, "It's goin'."

Jubilee nodded wordlessly and plopped down next to her as she eyed the repair she made, "Do ya need help?"

Marie shook her head and pursed her lips together as she attempted to fend off the tears that threatened to spill onto her cheeks. When Jubilee laid a comforting hand on Marie's back, the sassy southern spitfire lowered her head and broke down into deep sobs.

Jubilee quickly pulled her into a hug, allowing her friend to spend her tears.

After a few moments, Marie composed herself and thanked Jubilee for being there for her. Jubilee nodded and patted Marie on the back, "You sure you don't want help with any of this?"

Marie nodded with certainty. She had only cried twice since "the implosion" and both crying fits were brought on by being in the presence of Jubilee. For some reason, having her friend around brought out the raw emotion of the situation.

When Marie was alone, she felt calmer. She wasn't one of those girls who needed her girlfriends to bring over vodka and chocolate to help her through a breakup. She was just fine alone with her spackling paste and joint compound.

When Jubilee left, Marie stood and made her way to a hole by the door. Once again, she began sanding away...

***********Three years ago***********

"I can't get you to plan a date...but now you're putting together this elaborate ceremony?" Marie asked as she angrily moved around the room, slamming clothes into the hamper and stacking up papers.

She always cleaned when she got mad. He'd witnessed her do the same thing when he had forgotten her birthday a couple of months prior. Now she was pissed because he had helped Storm put together a memorial service to commemorate the fact that it had been two years since they lost Jean and Scott. It would be an understatement to say that he was just a little involved. Logan had helped pick everything for Jean's part of the memorial...he even agreed to say a few words.

Logan stood by the door and rolled his eyes, "Goddamit Marie...for the last time...it's not a ceremony! It's just a memorial!"

"For Jean."

"Yea...and Scott!" he argued.

"But you had Storm put together his part of the memorial! You chose the poem that would be read and the song that would be performed for Jean...don't you know how romantic that is? I can't even get you to tell me you love me unless you're inside of me!"

Logan stuttered a little, "Th-th-that's not true..."

Marie glared and ran both hands through her hair before closing her eyes, "Even if I could understand why you're doing this...the timing is just so...I mean...it's technically our anniversary."

Logan shrugged, "I suggested we do it on her birthday but-"

"What did you just say?"

Oops.

Logan had forgotten Marie's birthday just two months prior and the fact that he could easily remember a dead woman's birthday was not going to bode well with her.

She gritted her teeth and took a couple of steps toward him, "So you can remember HER birthday, huh!"

"Kid...calm down."

Marie was beyond listening to him as she yelled, "You forget mine and give me a half assed apology and a weak ass snow globe?"

She had worked herself up to the point of no return. Marie turned around to the dresser and sought out the innocent snow globe. She picked it up and threw it at him, but he was able to move out of the way as it hit the wall beside his head, leaving an ugly hole.

She started to grab a few other objects to throw, but he rushed over and grabbed her arms to subdue her, "I tell you I love you, I mean it! It doesn't matter where I am or what I'm doin' when I say it! What the fuck more do you want?" He shook her for emphasis and yelled in her face, "What!"

Marie pushed against his chest with her fists, shoving away from him as she yelled, "I want you! All of you!" There was a long pause before she narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice, "...but the dead woman in your heart won't let that happen."

He let her storm out of the room and sighed as he plopped down onto the bed.

A couple of hours later, Marie had returned to the room to find Logan gone. She was standing at the window, staring out over the grounds when Logan opened the door to their room.

He had flowers, but she didn't bother to turn around to see them. He removed his jacket, put the flowers down and walked up behind her. Her arms were crossed and her body language was still screaming "back the fuck off".

"I'm still mad at you."

Fuck the flowers. He was going to have to pull out the big guns to make this argument blow over. He leaned forward as he pressed his body against her.

Her eyes started to close, but she did her best not to fall under his spell...but was so hard to resist him...

"Logan..."

He kissed her neck and ear, then whispered, "I know, I know...you're still mad...just wait a sec..."

She stifled a moan as he began trailing kisses up and down her neck and pushed his hand down the front of her pants. His fingers immediately began working their magic, brushing against her clit, stroking her folds and dipping into her hot crevice.

Marie bit her lip and closed her eyes, "Damn you, Logan...damn you..."

He smirked as he continued to finger her with one hand, while expertly unfastening his pants with the other. Logan yanked down her pants and bent her slightly at the waist before taking his finger away and promptly replacing it with his dick.

She yelped slightly as he entered her. Logan gripped her hips as he began fucking her from behind with long, deep strokes that would have brought her to her knees had he not been holding onto her.

Marie put her palms on the glass to brace herself. She lost full control when he reached around and began rubbing her clit. They cried out in unison as they came together.

Logan smiled and rested his forehead between her shoulder blades as he panted gently against her back.

For Logan, the conflict was over and done with, but Marie, although satisfied with the orgasm she just experienced, was still as conflicted as ever.
*********************End Flashback*********************

Marie smirked as she finished spreading the last of the spackle on the snowglobe imprint on the wall. It would have been a little funny had he not gotten out of the way fast enough.

The smirk soon drooped into a frown as she looked around the rest of the room and realized that the most painful memories were yet to come.

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