Alright everyone! Hold onto your panties! It's about to be a long and bumpy ride!

Marie slowly ventured into the building and through the deathly quiet hallways.

The place always gave her a headache...maybe it was the smell she couldn't quite put her finger on, or maybe it was the constant blare of fluorescent lights. Either way, she hated the place...but that didn't matter anymore.

She walked through a few halls took an elevator up a couple of floors and made her way to the appropriate door. She smiled down at the woman sitting behind the desk.

"Morning...Name please?"

"Yea...D'Acanto."

As she waited, she thought back on the bowling ball sized hole in the wall in their old room. The one that she'd been avoiding.

She found it odd that she was having an easier time thinking about it while she was here of all places...

****************A few weeks ago**************

A 34 weeks pregnant Marie sat in the den, rubbing her rounded belly as she read her book. Jubilee plopped down next to her, "Hey chica...ready to go shopping?"

"Unless you have a crane that can lift me outta this chair, I'm stayin' right here."

Jubilee laughed, "God...does it suck that bad?"

Marie shook her head, "Nah, I'm actually likin' this. Logan's been pretty good..."

As Jubilee helped her up, Marie realized that it was the truth. Her pregnancy was pretty uneventful, save for the random Jean-induced argument. Their biggest blow up came when Logan caught her trying to leave the house without telling him during her first trimester, he accused her of trying to secretly have an abortion. That wasn't entirely true...she just wanted to weigh her options.

She had told him the only way she wanted to bring a baby home with him was if he sought counseling for his Jean-addiction. She may have been stupid enough to be stuck playing second fiddle to a corpse, but she would be damned if she was going to allow any child of hers to be second best.

Again, Logan swore he didn't need any help.

When it had come time to learn the baby's sex, Logan made the ultrasound tech write it down for him because Marie didn't want to find out until the birth. He seemed excited about whatever they were having.

But as always, the happiness they shared wouldn't last long.

Logan went to Jubilee to ask her advice. The firecracker immediately knew something was up. The Wolverine didn't typically care what others thought.

"Heya...got a minute?"

She smiled pleasantly as she looked up from the stack of paperwork on her desk, "I got two...what's up?"

He sat down, "I wanna ask Marie to marry me."

Jubilee's eyebrows couldn't have shot any higher if they detached from her face and climbed up to the ceiling. She just sat there with a wide mouth for several moments before Logan smirked, "That's why I came to ya, Jubes...you always know what to say."

She laughed uneasily, "Sorry, it's just...marriage...you and Rogue...wow."

"Is it that crazy to think about?"

"Well...no, it's just that I didn't realize you two had overcome the Jean factor...she practically has a conniption if you so much as utter her name..."

Logan tried not to roll his eyes, "Yea, well things haven't been as bad lately."

Jubilee crossed her arms, "Well that's surprising...with her hormones and all."

"Which is exactly why I haven't said the J-word in the past few months."

"Well great...how are you going to ask her?"

Logan shrugged, "Maybe take her to dinner or something? That's why I'm here. I have no idea how to go about it. You're her best friend...help me figure it out."

Jubilee stood and began pacing, "Maybe she'd like it if you just did the traditional, down on one knee with a ring, thing?"

"Uh...ring?"

"You do have a ring...don't you?"

"No..."

Jubilee's eyebrows scrunched up, "Oh come on, Wolvie! You can't ask a girl to marry you without a ring! What's your finances looking like? Got any credit cards?"

Logan hesitated. He didn't feel really comfortable discussing his finances with big mouth Betty, but he needed her help, so he spilled, "I have a few thousand bucks in cash, but I don't have any credit...you have to be able to remember your social security number for that kinda thing."

Jubilee nodded, "With a baby coming, it wouldn't be smart to spend all of your cash on a ring...we need a plan."

"I'm listening."

"I know that Storm is trying to find something to do with some of Jean's old jewelry. I know she wants to keep a couple of important pieces like her wedding ring and the necklace the professor gave her, but she doesn't know what to do with the other stuff. She donated her clothes and things, but shelters don't exactly need white gold and sapphire earrings, ya know what I mean?"

Logan nodded, "You're sayin' I should steal Jean's jewelry from Storm?"

"No nut...buy it from her at a discounted price, pawn it and use the profit for a ring."

"Um...I don't think Storm would approve...she broods over Marie like a mother hen and can't seem to resist the urge to tell me how bad I am for her whenever she can."

"Then I'll buy it from her. She doesn't have to know a thing til after you slip the ring on Marie's finger."

Logan took Jubilee up on her deal.

A few days later, Jubilee secretly gave Logan a velvet bag containing a pair of diamond stud earrings, an emerald bracelet and a necklace with a ruby pendant. He wanted to keep Marie from seeing it, but as he was busy attempting to find an appropriate hiding space for the bag, he sensed her approaching and hurriedly shoved it into his nightstand drawer. He would remind himself to hide them better later.

He never did remember...

The following day, as Marie was searching for her MP3 player headphones, she stumbled upon the velvet bag.

When she opened it, she saw the familiar jewelry and immediately realized who it had belonged to.

Tears immediately blurred her vision. She jumped slightly when Logan entered the room.

He quickly surveyed the scene and put a hand up, "Marie...it's not what you think-"

She immediately grabbed up the alarm clock and threw it in his general direction. Instead of connecting with his head, it hit the wall, leaving a bowling ball sized dent. She rushed from the room, dropping the bag in the process.

For being so heavily pregnant, she was surprisingly fast. He called her name and rushed after her. He caught up to her as she reached the top of the stairs and tried to take her hand.

Marie suddenly and violently snatched away from him, but her large belly, combined with the fact that she hadn't properly gauged her place at the top of the stairwell caused her to lose her balance.

Logan yelled her name as she fell down the stairs and landed in a deathly still heap at the bottom. As he rushed down, he began calling for help. He knelt beside her and gently touched her head.

Jubilee came rushing toward them and gasped, "What happened?"

"She fell! Get Hank! Call 9-1-1!" he yelled without taking his eye off of the still unconscious Marie.

There was an ugly wound on the side of her head where it had connected with one of the wooden stairs, but other than that, she had no visual injuries. He could hear that her heartbeat was strong and steady..so he turned his attentions to the baby.

He put a shaking hand on her belly and closed his eyes, whispering, "Come on baby girl...gimme a kick..."

He didn't feel anything...not the familiar ripple of the baby move within her, not the tiny nudge against his hand...nothing.

Logan didn't know when Hank got there, but he suddenly saw a pair of blue, hairy hands take Marie's. He checked her pulse and her pupils, "The paramedics should be here soon...what happened?"

"She was mad at me...she fell...she fell..."

A couple of moments later, the paramedics arrived. Hank gave them a quick rundown of his brief examination of her before the put her in a neck brace and loaded her onto the stretcher.

Storm, who had come down the stairs, pointed an accusing finger at Logan as tears formed in her eyes, "This is your fault! I saw Jean's jewelry on the floor in your room! Why couldn't you just leave her be?"

Logan paid no attention to her as he followed Marie out to the ambulance and got in with Jubilee.

An hour later, he was standing in the waiting room. He sent Jubilee in with Marie while he and Hank tried to fill out paperwork concerning her medical history.

Storm came charging down the hallway, her daggers directed at Logan, "Are you happy now? Do you see what you've done to her?"

Logan growled, but Hank took a step between them, "Calm down...now is not the time to start placing blame."

Jubilee came back out and looked around, "She woke up, but that's all they'll tell me. They said no one can be back there now..."

Thus began a long night of waiting.

Jubilee sipped on coffee as she sat next to Hank and Storm while Logan had set up camp on the opposite end of the waiting room. He kept his face turned to the floor as his elbows rested on his knees.

He didn't know what had happened...her belly was so still when he touched it.

It had been hours by the time the doctor walked up to Hank and began talking. Logan could hear him say, "She said she wanted to see Jubilee and Storm."

He watched Jubilee give him a look of uncertainty before she disappeared through the double doors with Storm, who took the opportunity to glare at him.

Logan rushed over to them, "I have to see her...is the baby alright?"

The doctor sighed, "The patient specifically requested I keep her information confidential. I'm sorry."

Logan looked as hurt as he felt, but he tried to be patient. Soon, he could get back there and explain this whole mess and all would be well...

He paced in front of Hank for about an hour before Storm came out and gave Hank sad smile, "She wants to see you..."

Storm let Hank walk out as Logan looked at her expectantly, "Well?"

She rubbed her face with both hands and sighed, "She doesn't want to see you Logan..."

"What? Like now or-"

"Ever..."

He gave her a funny look, "What? No...you're kidding...we're having a baby together, we have to see each other."

He started to try to rush around her to the double doors, but she put both hands on his chest, "Logan..."

"No! I love her! That's my baby in there!"

She grabbed his arms and shook him violently, "Logan! She lost the baby!"

He froze as hurt and confusion swept his features, "What? No...no..."

"She went into preterm labor and when the baby was born, she wasn't breathing...I'm sorry."

"You lie!" he grabbed her arms and slammed her against the nearest wall.

She shook her head, "I'm sorry, Logan..."

"I have to see her..."

He let go of her and began making his way to the door, but she stopped him, "She's really not in any condition to see you, Logan. She said she never wants to see you again...she blames you."

He stopped in his tracks and hung his head as he fought back tears he didn't even know he had. He breathed heavily as he fought back sobs, "I didn't mean...I wasn't keeping Jean's jewelry..."

"Jubilee tried to tell her the same story, but she said she didn't want to hear it...she doesn't believe it. Logan...you should just go. I told you that you would only hurt her and look what happened!" Storm sighed and ran a hand through her hair, "...if you leave now, she might be able to have a normal life one day. She might be able to be happy."

Logan watched Storm disappear through the double doors and sunk down to the floor with his face in his hands. Storm was right. He was no good for Marie. All he had done was bring her heartache...all because he couldn't let go of the dead woman he fucked a couple of times years ago.

If he hadn't been so obsessed with Jean in the first place, the misunderstanding with the jewelry would have never happened...the fall would have never happened.

He wanted to stay to be there for her...but he'd been making excuses to stay for years. It was time to do what was best for her...no matter how badly it hurt. No matter how poor the timing. It was now or never.

As Logan was making his way back to the mansion to pack, Storm was reentering Marie's hospital room.

Marie was laying on her side, dabbing at her eyes with a wad of tissues. She barely spared Storm a glance as she sniffled, "So?"

"I told him everything you asked me to say...Marie, I know I never liked him for you, but are you sure-"

"I'm sure", she answered quickly and evenly.

Logan finished packing his bag and set it on the bed as he walked over to the closet and fished out two blankets. He'd bought one in pink and one in blue just to throw Marie off. He wanted to make sure she would get her delivery room surprise.

Logan tossed the blue blanket back in the closet and stared down at the pink bundle in his hands. His heart felt like it split in two inside of his chest as he thought about the daughter that would never be.

He buried his face in the pink fabric and let out several muffled cries of anguish. It took him a few moments to regain his composure and shove the blanket into his duffle bag.

He had to take it. It was his only reminder of the fact that he should have been a father...

Logan left a short note and an envelope filled with money on the bed before taking one last look around their battered room.

*************End flashback************

The woman's voice jolted Marie back to the present, "Go right in Ms. D'Acanto."

She smiled at the woman and walked through the doors. Marie entered a sterile white room and smiled at the nurse, "Hey Grace."

"Hey Marie, how are ya?"

"Good...oh, here...got some breast milk," Marie said as she handed the nurse a small cooler bag out of her bag.

"Great! All labeled and everything?"

Marie nodded at the nurse before walking to the nearby sink and thoroughly washing her hands, "How is she today?"

"Great! Go see for yourself!"

Marie finished washing her hands and put on a hospital smock before walking to a incubator at the end of the room.

It was labeled "D'Acanto".

How's THAT for a plot twist?

Again folks, you gotta let me know how you're enjoying this/what you think! I need feedback! I appreciate all of you who are adding this to your favs/story alerts, but I need reviews you guys!