The first night at the mansion was…awkward, to say the least.
When Marie was ready to go to sleep, she kind of stood beside the bed, looking at it like it might contain poisonous snakes. Logan raised a brow, "What's wrong?"
She shrugged a little, "Um…I think I'm gonna go stay in Kitty's room."
"What? They think we're married…if they-"
"I can come back early in the morning", she said, quickly cutting him off.
Logan nodded a little, clearly hurt that she didn't want to even sleep in the same bed as him after he managed to save her life, and the life of their baby. On the other hand, he couldn't entirely blame her. Technically, he was the man who had kidnapped her, been her prison guard, and impregnated her against her will.
There was a chance she'd never fully trust him.
He watched Marie walk out of the room, then plopped down on the bed, "I'm a fuckin' asshole."
Just as he continued to mentally berate himself, Marie was knocking on Kitty's door. She heard her call from within, "Who is it?"
"It's me Kitty…"
Kitty opened the door and furrowed her eyebrows, "Marie. Something wrong?"
"Can I stay in here with you?"
She nodded and opened the door wider, allowing her into the room, then closed it behind her. Marie slowly sat down on the bed and let out a soft sigh as she rubbed the side of her swollen stomach. Kitty sat down in the arm chair across from her, "Everything alright?"
"Given the circumstances…no."
"What's goin' on?"
Marie closed her eyes and shook her head, "I'm not sure…he saved our lives, right? But it was this side of like five months ago that he practically forced himself on me so that he could knock me up with a soldier-baby…"
Kitty sat back, "Well, look. I know you'd be crazy to ignore what he's done to you in the past, but it's more important to judge people based on their present…"
"How can we say that? If Logan and Peter didn't have the excuse of bein' a soldier to hide behind, they'd be in jail for kidnapping and rape."
Kitty sobered noticeably at the mention of Peter's name and lowered her head, "Excuses can't be made for what they did…but I was able to understand that being a soldier and taking orders is all they knew. Our perception of right and wrong is molded by our experiences in life…what if you grew up thinking that it's right to hit someone who cuts in front of you at the grocery store…or you grew up thinking it was normal to stone men who cheat to death…it's all relative. It's just a matter of rehabbing their believe system and trying to help them understand that there's something out there worth changing their perception of the world over."
Marie stared at Kitty for a while, "What would that something be?"
Kitty smiled sadly, "The love of a good woman…in your case, that, and a bouncing baby boy…"
She smiled at the younger girl and sighed, "Ya know…when we first met, I thought you would be this superficial, ditzy chick."
Kitty laughed and sat back in her chair, "Being kidnapped and subjected to the stuff we were, you kinda grow up fast."
Marie nodded, "Yeah. I feel like a million times older now than I did before…and I was working for pennies at a shitty diner getting groped by truck drivers."
The next morning, Marie woke up early and made her way back to Logan's room. He was already awake, sitting up in bed, staring out the window. The fact that he was shirtless didn't go unnoticed as temporarily lost her ability to speak at the sight of his amazingly chiseled chest and arms.
He glanced back at her and raised a brow, "Sleep OK?"
She nodded, "Yeah. You?"
"I don't sleep much."
Marie never knew that about him. Out of the many times they'd had sex throughout that week long period over five months ago, they'd obviously never slept together. She didn't know much about him or his everyday life, but as she coped with the very recent realization that she would actually be able to keep and raise the child—rather than having Stryker snatch him away immediately after birth, she realized that she should probably get to know the father of her baby so that she could know what kind of traits he could inherit.
"Why don't you sleep?"
He cracked his neck and slowly stood as he continued staring out the window, "Nightmares."
"What do you have nightmares about?"
Logan looked at her for a long time before sighing and grabbing his shirt from the end of the mattress. She tried not to look disappointed as he pulled his shirt over his head, "Wars…fighting…"
She sighed, "I'm sorry."
He stopped in his tracks and looked at her.
That declaration had caught him by surprise. She was "sorry" he had nightmares every night and couldn't sleep? After all he had done to her and put her through…she was able to show him some compassion.
Logan cleared his throat and nodded, "Uhh…yeah. I'm fine. How are you feelin'? Kid movin' around like normal?"
Marie nodded and moved a hand to her belly, "Yeah. He's active."
"Good. I'm gonna wash up…then go downstairs and see if I can talk to Chuck. You and Kitty should see if there's some breakfast you can scrounge up."
An hour or so later, Marie and Kitty were sitting in the cafeteria, eating their breakfast. Most of the children were in class, but a few older teenagers lingered, staring at the girls and whispering among themselves.
Kitty shifted uncomfortably and whispered to Marie, "Why are they staring at us?"
"We're new. Comes with the territory."
Just as Marie finished her sentence, a young man, who was probably the same age as Marie, walked over. He smiled politely, "Hi. My name's Bobby."
Kitty smiled back hesitantly, but Marie remained stoic, "I'm Kitty. This is my…uh…sister-in-law Marie."
Bobby nodded and smiled at Marie, "Right. Scott mentioned you. You're pregnant, right?"
She placed a protective hand on her stomach, "He told you that?"
"Yeah. It's exciting cause the youngest kid we've ever had in the house was like 6. It'll be fun to have a baby around."
Marie didn't feel comfortable knowing that her baby was already being thought of as the school mascot. They hadn't even been there for 24 hours. This Bobby guy was a little too chummy for her liking.
Bobby smiled again, "So, where are you guys from?"
Logan's arrival made Bobby quickly shut his mouth. He stood directly next to the boy, dwarfing him with his large frame, "You girls alright?"
Kitty nodded, "Bobby here was just introducing himself."
To Logan's surprise, Marie stood and moved over to Logan, quickly intertwining her arm in his and taking his hand, "Yeah. Bobby was just saying hi. This is my husband, Logan."
It was clear that Marie felt uncomfortable around Bobby, which is why she was seeking solace in Logan's formidable shadow. He surmised she figured the evil she knew was better than the evil she didn't know.
He gently wrapped her hand in his and pulled her close, "Chuck wants to talk to you, hon. You up for it, or do ya need to lay back down?"
Marie shook her head as he looked up at Bobby, who seemed more than a little intimidated by his presence, "I'm fine. Lead the way."
Logan glanced at Kitty, "You OK?"
"Yeah. I'm fine. You two go ahead."
He favored Bobby with a stern glare before leading Marie out. It wasn't until they reached the hallway outside of the cafeteria, did he realize Marie was shaking like a leaf.
Logan stopped walking and gently touched her arm, "Hey…you OK?"
Marie shook her head and let out a shaky breath, "I just…I feel a little anxious."
"Cause of that guy? Did he say somethin' to you?" he almost growled at the thought of someone frightening or threatening her.
She quickly shook her head, "No. He didn't say anything. I just…I guess I'm nervous cause he just came up and talked to me. He was nice…and I just…I'm scared that the next nice guy who comes up to me is gonna have some secret agenda...like you did."
Logan cleared his throat, "I see."
He didn't know what to say. She had a fear of nice guys because he'd originally been a "nice" guy…then he hurt her.
Marie pursed her lips, "I'm sorry."
"No. Don't be. Let's just go talk to this Xavier guy."
Without another word, he led her to a large oak door and knocked. A calm voice from within called out, "Come in", which prompted Logan to open the door.
Charles sat behind his desk as he smiled at the two, "Please, sit down."
Logan and Marie sat down in chairs in front of his desk, "I wanna make sure Marie rests as much as possible, so if you could make this quick—"
"Certainly. I understand", said Charles quickly.
Marie smiled, "Thank you so much for lettin' us stay here."
"Of course, we're happy to help."
"So…what is this meeting about?" asked Logan.
"I'm not sure if you know of my mutation, but I happen to be a telepath…and whenever an individual enters the premises of this school, I perform a…psychic scan, if you will, to ensure that they do not pose a risk to the children and faculty of my school."
Marie could practically hear the muscles in Logan's body tense as Charles continued, "Of course, my scan of you revealed the real nature of your relationship with the two young women you're traveling with, Colonel."
Logan looked down, "I'm tryin' to be a better man…for Marie…and for our son."
She looked at him quickly, but tried to hide her surprise. He had never referred to the baby as "our son" before.
Charles sighed, "I may be able to appreciate that sentiment, however, I know what you've done to Marie in the name of following orders…and I know what you've done in your past. I do not feel comfortable with you here, living among my students."
Marie sat forward, "Mr. Xavier, please. We have nowhere else to go."
"You and Katherine are welcome to stay, Marie. In exchange for helping with the children and around the school, I offer you free room, food and safety. You would have an unparalleled support system here…for you and your son."
She pursed her lips and looked at Logan. He could tell that she felt confused and lost, but Logan immediately knew what he had to do.
He cleared his throat, "Alright. I'll leave."
"What?"
Charles nodded, "Very well."
Marie started to shake her head as Logan stood and pulled her up by her hand, "We'll talk in private."
He led her out of Charles' office and closed the door behind them. She stopped when he tried to lead her down the hallway, "What in the hell was that?"
"That was me makin' sure you and my kid have a safe place to live."
Marie shook her head and tried to keep her voice from shaking as she spoke, "There's got to be another way. Maybe if we—"
"Chuck was right, darlin'. I'm no good for you…and even if he thought I was, it's not safe for me to stay. Stryker has a better shot at findin' you if I stick around."
She shook her head, "Logan—"
"I'm gonna pack a bag. I'll be fine, kid. I've been survivin' on my own for longer than you've been alive."
"B-b-but, what about the baby?"
Logan nodded, "When I snuck you away from Stryker, my only goal was to make sure you and this kid were safe. I've done enough to hurt you…and if this is what I have to do to try to make it right, I'm gonna do it."
He walked away without another word, leaving Marie to fight back tears.
Twenty minutes later, Logan was sitting on the bed in Marie's bedroom with some toiletries and a couple of pairs of sweat pants stuffed inside of a duffle bag resting at his feet. He was in such deep thought, he didn't notice Marie enter the room.
When she started toward him, he looked up, "Oh. Hey. Was just about to hit the road."
Marie pursed her lips in an effort to keep her lip from trembling as she walked over to him and gently placed a hand on his cheek.
Logan closed his eyes and leaned his face into her hand. He reopened his eyes and looked up at her. From his place on the bed, he was eye level to her belly, so he slowly snaked his hands up her waist and pulled her stomach close before lifting up her shirt and laying a gentle kiss on the swollen mound.
Marie gently ran a hand through his hair and moaned as he began trailing kisses across the surface of her belly.
She quickly yanked her shirt off over her head before leaning down to kiss him hungrily as he pulled her on top of him, guiding her onto his lap so that she was straddling him on the bed.
When the kiss ended, Logan eagerly buried his face in her neck, licking and nipping at the soft flesh.
Marie gasped and arched as he pulled her bra cup down and latched onto one of her sensitized nipples. She reached between them and slowly began rubbing the growing bulge in his pants, which forced a groan from his throat before he gently laid her down on her back. He kissed his way down her body before he pulled her sweats and underwear off.
Once she was fully naked, he kissed his way up the inside of her thigh until he reached her moistening slit. He ran his tongue up her pussy, then began gently licking at her clit.
Marie arched her back and reached down to run her fingers through his hair as he toyed with the sensitive bundle of nerves.
When he was through, he slowly crawled up her body and laid a gently kiss against her neck before slowly pushing himself inside of her. Marie moaned and looked up into his eyes as he began moving in and out of her at a slow, steady pace. Logan leaned down to kiss her lips as he continued pumping in and out of her, then rolled them back over without removing himself from the warm embrace of her tight pussy.
Marie sat up on top of him and began rolling her hips onto him, moaning and panting as her body inched closer and closer to orgasm. Logan caressed and stroked every inch of skin he could get his hands on. He needed to touch her as much as possible...since he knew he would likely never touch her again.
She kissed him lovingly and whispered, "Logan….Logan…"
"That's it, baby…let go…cum for me, darlin'…"
Almost as soon as he said it, she did it.
When he felt her pussy clamp down on his cock, he lost control and gripped her body to his as she jerked atop him, crying out his name through her orgasm.
A couple of hours later, Marie was asleep on the bed naked beneath the thin sheet. Logan, who was now fully dressed, stood at the foot of the bed, staring at her sleeping form.
He silently walked over to the side of the bed and took a deep breath as he leaned down to kiss her forehead, then gently, but briefly, rubbed a hand across her stomach.
By the time Marie woke up, Logan was gone.
Logan had met with Charles one last time before leaving, making the man promise him that he would look after Marie and the baby. Of course, Charles agreed to keep Marie safe, and even provided Logan with a prepaid cell phone that he would contact him on should any emergencies arrive with Marie.
He headed north to Canada, hoping to ensure that he was far away from the school, just in case Stryker started sniffing around Westchester.
Eventually, Logan got a job as a lumberjack and made a home inside of a small trailer in the middle of a small mountain town in the Canadian mountains.
Meanwhile, Marie struggled to adjust to life in the mansion. Luckily, Kitty was there to help her. The girls stuck together, but eventually found friendship in Storm, Scott and Jean.
Her pregnancy progressed beautifully, but everyone could tell that she was saddened by Logan's absence. Despite her unique circumstances, she pressed on and remained positive.
One evening, about 18 weeks later, while Logan was heating up a microwavable meal in the kitchenette of his trailer, he heard a beeping noise coming from his bedroom.
He walked in to see the prepaid cell phone, which he'd faithfully kept on and charged every evening, lit up.
Logan rushed over and picked up the phone. When he unlocked the screen, he saw a text from Charles that read, "Your son, Ethan, was born at 7:15pm, weighing 8lbs 9oz and measuring 20 inches long. Birth was uncomplicated. Marie is doing well."
He dropped down to the bed as he stared at the text, re-reading it over and over again. He was about to stand back up when another chime from the phone drew his attention back to the screen. He opened up the new text to see the image of his son and Marie, just after birth.
She looked exhausted, but elated as she held their son. Marie's hair was disheveled, and she was smiling down at the small bundle that she protectively cradled against her chest. Logan could see a shock of brown hair covering the boy's head, and bright, alert hazel eyes.
He'd never seen a picture more beautiful in his life.
He slowly dropped the phone and put his face in his hands.
Logan missed work for the next two days, being too despondent to leave his trailer. When he did return to work, he was almost fired when he almost got into a fight with one of his fellow lumberjacks.
That night, when he returned home, he picked up the phone and called the professor.
"Logan."
"I need to talk to her."
The professor sighed, "I'm not sure that's a good idea, Logan. She's very emotional right now…she just gave birth, and she's adjusting—"
"How is my son?"
Logan could practically hear the smile on the professor's lips as he spoke, "Oh, he's a charming young man. Perfectly healthy and very alert."
"How is she?"
The professor's tone grew a little more guarded, "She's adjusting beautifully…and she's very in love with little Ethan."
Logan sighed, "Look…tell her I'm thinkin' of her…and that I uh…I miss her."
"I will."
When Logan hung up the phone, he figured out a way to send the picture to a local drug store so that it could be printed. He picked it up the following day and stared at it for a long time before he placed it in his wallet.
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