______________________________________________________________________________
Marie learned from the beginning of there little trip together that Logan was a man of every few words. And most of the time they weren't even words he just grunted or growled which for some reason seemed very sexy to her the growling thing. It was something that started deep in his chest like a grumbling and then rose up into his throat. She imagined that when he was angry Logan might even bare his teeth like an animal ready to attack its next victim. Sighing to herself she pulled her feet up into the seat and rested her chin against her knee's looking over at Logan she noticed he wasn't wearing his seat belt her mama had always taught her to put on her seat belt and as soon as she'd felt the truck jerk into motion last night she'd quickly buckled herself in.
"Ya know you should really wear your seat belt."
Waving his cigar clenching fingers at her. "Know listen kid I don't need any lessons on how to drive from you okay?" Logan had taken his eyes off of the road for just a minuet and had started to cross over into the other lane of the high way when a car started coming. Quickly jerking the truck into his lane again the car honked their horn at him and flipped him the bird.
Giggling in her seat a little bit Marie smiled over at Logan. "Ah told ya." She said getting a little brave.
Grunting Logan slowed down to two miles an hour and pulled on his seat belt. "There ya happy kid? I got my damned seat belt on." Logan gripped.
"Well hey if ya'd had gone flying through the windshield it would'a been yer fault ya know." She said still giggling a little bit under her breath.
Logan was shaking his head a slight grin tugging at the corner's of his lips before he took another draw off of his cigar. It hadn't struck him yet that Marie was a mutant; he just naturally assumed she didn't want him touching her and made up some little story about people being hurt when they touched her skin. Although since the thought hadn't struck him she was a mutant he hadn't bothered to notice that her scent wasn't lying to him.
"So where are we going anyways." Marie asked.
"Laughlin City, it's just up the road another couple of miles. Once we get there we'll get something to eat." Logan said the persistent growling of his stomach was beginning to get on his nerves.
______________________________________________________________________________
The minuets passed by like hours as they got closer and closer to Laughlin City. Marie was in desperate need of a bathroom 'Uh Ah'm gonna burst if Ah don't get to a bathroom soon.' She kept thinking to herself. Soon she started trying to do what her mama would tell her when she was a little girl and they where on a long road trip. 'Just think of dry things Marie.' Her mama would tell her and that's exactly what Marie was trying to do.
When Logan's truck pulled into a parking lot it was already starting to get dark outside but she could clearly see by the lamp posts here and there in the parking lot. Logan was up out of his seat and crawling into the back of the camper pulling down a few articles of clothing.
"C'mere kid, I don't want ya to stay out here and freeze to death in this camper come put on these boots and one of my old jackets. There are a lot of perverts in these places so just do as I say and stay with me don't go wandering off, don't talk to anybody and stay where I tell you to stay." Logan said.
'Gawd he sounds like my mama.' Marie thought to herself as she climbed over the seats and into the camper connected onto Logan's truck. "Alright Ah'm comin." She said getting back there she looked around feeling her bare feet scrapping across dirty anolyum flooring. Marie assumed that the full size bed was actually the kitchen table underneath it. Her families' old camper had a bed much like that.
Logan was pulling out a faded denim jacket and a pear of socks out of a duffle bag sitting on the counter. Sitting down on the edge of the bed Marie pulled on the socks her mind wandering how many women Logan had in this camper in the past. She contemplated wither the sheets where even clean. Pulling on his socks they where too big for her feet but she was grateful for the warmth. Logan was digging around on the corner for something when she heard him grunt.
"Here, put these boots on there big but they'll keep your feet warm." He said setting them down next to her feet. Looking up at the make shaft clothes line of jeans hanging there Marie was fully away that there was no possible way for Logan's jeans to fit her but she needed something to brace her legs against the bitter cold so she put them on rolling the legs up before synching the belt tightly around her waist. The boots had to be at least three or four times to big for her feet but she shoved her feet inside and tied the laces so tight that they wouldn't have a change to slip on her feet when she walked.
Feeling a gush of cold air Marie looked up as Logan was opened the door to the camper and had jumped out. Standing up she walked over to him the boots making a thud noise every time she took a step giggling a little bit. Logan was holding his arms out to her to help her out of the camper there weren't any steps to step on so she gladly let him help her. Logan grabbed her under her arms and easily lifted her out of the camper and set her back down on the ground. Marie's feet making crunching sounds in the fresh snow outside the truck.
Taking a look around Marie was a little confused. "Ah thought you said we were going to Laughlin City?" She asked as a trucks head lights shinning in her eyes as they searched for a parking place which was pretty much anywhere.
Slamming the camper door shut Logan back sure that it was locked before he turned back to Marie. "This is Laughlin City." He grunted taking her satin gloved hand and pulling her along with him. Marie summed the place up fairly quickly inside of her head. A real shit hole.
Walking up to a large barn like building Logan pushed the heavy steel door open and ushered Marie inside. The first thing to assault your senses was the smell of piss, puck, and unwashed bodies covered over by cheap perfumes and colognes. Feeling Logan take her hand again she couldn't help look over at the man she was with and smirk. This place seemed to suite his hard ass exterior. "Ya come here often?"
Logan snorted a little bit before pulling Marie towards the bar. "It pays the bills." Logan remarked pushing Marie down into a seat and reaching into his pocket and laying down twenty dollar's on the bar. "Gemme a beer." He told the bartender looking over at Marie he raised his brows slowly. "Ah'll just have some water." She said. Marie had never really drunk beer and didn't imagine this to be the best time to start. Although she hoped they would be done here soon whatever it was they where doing here she wasn't sure.
The bar was fairly empty when they came in but about a half and hour later the place started to full up with more and more people. Standing up Logan whispered to Marie. "Stay here, don't move and don't talk to anybody someone starts to bother you, you scream for me." He informed her as he walked over to what looked like a big cage up on a platform. Turning into her seat she could see Logan taking off his jackets and plaid shirt as well as his boots before he stepped into the cage.
'What the hell is he doing?' Marie asked herself. After Logan had gotten into the ring a short round man came in along with him pulling a microphone along with him as he came into the ring. "And here for another round the Wolverine, who in the crowd thinks they can beat this man of mystery?!" the announcer spoke into the microphone. The crowd was really getting into it when a man about the same frame as Logan came walking through the crowd and took off his jacket.
Stepping into the ring the announcer whispered something into his ear and the guy nodded slightly before beginning to bounce around the cage as the announced stepped out and closed the door. Ding Ding went the sound of the bell announced the beginning of the match.
Turning from his corner Logan punched the guy right in the face sending him reeling backwards into the wiring of the cage. Staggering forward the guy tried to swing but Logan caught his wrist in mid air grabbed the collar of his shirt and head butted him knocking the guy out for the rest of the time. Ding Ding went the bell again announcing that the match was now over. Two heavily muscled guys stepped into the room and picked up the unconscious man and pulled him out of the ring.
The Ring Master as Marie had started calling him stepped back into the cage bringing along his microphone with him again. There were people crowded around the cage screaming and taunting Logan. Yelling various different curse words at him as well. "Who else here is willing to fight this animal. Are you going to just stand by and let this man take your money!" the ring master's voice rang out throughout the whole bar.
Suddenly a large bald headed man stood up in the back and yelled. "I'll fight'em!" Turning round on the cage the ring master waved a hand through the air. "Our Savior!" he said as the bald man stepped into the cage at this point Marie was seriously asking herself. 'What is it with bald guys?' Standing in the cage the bald guy was flexing his muscles for the crowd prepared to win them all there money if they bet against Logan.
Ding Ding came the bell again and the ring master waddled out of the cage and closed the door behind him again. Turning around the bald guy landed a hard left hook to Logan's jaw which sent him stumbling backwards into the cage. Hitting him again Logan feel to the floor. Grabbing the wiring of the cage the bald guy started to kick Logan in his abdomen hard. Turning around the guy flexed his muscles for the crowd again giving Logan a chance to get to his knees. Turning again the guy was about to punch Logan again when there fists met in the air. A cry was heard from inside of the ring when the bald man withdrawals his hand shaking it as the pain surged through his fist. Hitting the man with a left then a right and another left Logan grabbed the guy and through him into the metal wiring of the cage. Crashing into the floor the bald man was about to crawl back up with Logan held the sides of his shinny bald dome and kneed him right in the face rendering him unconscious.
Some of the crowd was booing and other were cheering. Walking back over to his corner of the cage Logan looked out at some of the people flexing his back. It was a little red but after a few moments you couldn't even tell that he'd just had the living day lights kicked out of him.
Entering the ring again the ring master announced. "And still the King of the Cage…the Wolverine!" After losing there money many of the drunks where already leaving the bar before Logan even had a chance to get out of the cage to put on his clothes and boots. Logan had just gotten his boots on when he came up to the bar buttoning his up his shirts. Sitting down next to Marie he ordered a beer. Lighting a cigar Logan took a long slug from his beer bottle. Looking up at the television there was some new cast about the Mutant Registration Act and the movements that Senator Kelly was making against mutants. Before he could think about the M.R.A he felt someone tapping him on the shoulder.