Marie pulled up to the lumber yard and watched as Logan got out of their beat up old truck, then grabbed his gear from the bed. As he walked away, she glanced to the passenger seat and saw that he'd forgotten his lunch.
She grabbed it and hopped out to jog after him, "Hey...wait up! Don't want my man goin' hungry."
He turned around and took the lunch, "Thanks babe."
As he turned to head toward a group of awaiting fellow lumberjacks, he heard her clear her throat. Lowering his head, he turned around to see her standing there with her hands on her hips.
She stopped him as he prepared to favor her with a quick kiss, "Uh uh, mister. You better make it a good one."
Logan raised a brow before dropping his axe and using his free hand to grab her around her waist and yank her close before laying a kiss for the ages on her lips.
"Woohoo"s and cat calls were heard from the group of men as their kiss drew to a slow, sultry close. Logan glanced back at them with an angry scowl, which worked to quiet the crowd before he turned back to Marie and smirking, "Happy now? Look what you started."
She giggled, "Totally worth it in my opinion."
After leaving Logan at work, Marie headed into town to go shopping at the general store. Upon entering, the middle aged lady who Marie knew as Sam behind the counter smiled, "Hi Anna! Stocking up for the storm?"
"What storm?" asked Marie.
Sam moved around the counter and began stacking cans on a shelf, "I've been listening to the radio. They're expectin' about 18 inches startin' tonight, then maybe another ten the day after."
"Oh wow...I guess I should stock up, then."
She eyed Marie for a moment, "This your first real snowstorm, darlin'?"
"Guilty. My more experienced cohort is somewhere in the woods, choppin' down trees. Alright...what'll I need?"
"Just the usual. Food, batteries, flashlights, firewood and gasoline for your generator."
By the time Logan was dropped off by one of his co workers that evening, snow had begun to softly fall. He looked around at the unlit candles and other supplies Marie had brought home, "Uh...what's goin' on, babe?"
She came around the corner and smiled at him, "Hey...you didn't hear about the storm?"
"Yeah...but I didn't think it warranted a shopping spree."
"Baby, I'm a southern girl. I've never been trapped in a snow storm before."
Logan kissed her on the lips and looked around, "Extra firewood, a weather radio, beef jerky...wow. Preparin' for armageddon, huh?"
"Tease all you want, but you'll be thankin' me when we're snowed in for the fifth day straight and we're still warm with plenty of food and water."
He grabbed her around her waist and yanked her forward, "Oh...I knew no matter what...we'd be warm."
She playfully raised a brow, "Oh really? How did you know that?"
Logan answered by leaning down to nuzzle, kiss and suck on the soft flesh of her neck. In response, Marie's eyes rolled closed involuntarily. She shuddered and gripped his firm biceps, "Oh...oh...that's a good plan."
Marie felt him smile against her skin as he whispered, "Do you wanna try to make it to the bedroom? Or do you want me to just fuck you on the floor?"
Barely three minutes after she uttered the words "the floor", Logan had her on her hands and knees. In their haste, they'd barely gotten their pants down to their knees before he thrust deeply into her.
She loved it when they made love in random places of the cabin. It was a way to mark the place as "theirs" even though they were renting it. They laid beside each other thirty minutes later, panting and half dressed with limbs intertwined.
"Guess we found something to do during the storm..."
He laughed softly and ran a hand through his hair, "Definitely."
Marie rolled over and gently ran a finger over his chest, "No matter what our future brings...I wanna remember my time with you forever..."
Logan kissed her forehead, "I'm never gonna forget you, darlin'...even if I go crazy for a little while...you'll always be the best memory in my whole fucked up world."
A couple of nights later, Logan was asleep in bed beside Marie...dreaming.
He began reliving the events of their escape from Team X in vivid detail.
From seeing Wade whip Marie, to opening his eyes just before their captor had the chance to rape her. He suddenly roared as his claws came shooting out and buried themselves into Wade's body.
The warmth of her blood didn't wake him...but her wet, choking cough did. Logan's eyes sprang open, and he was immediately confronted with what he had done.
Instead of remaining within a harmless dream, he had inflicted harm on her. Something he promised he could never ever do...but here she was, lying next to him, choking on her own blood as the angry red liquid feverishly poured from three claw marks in the center of her chest.
Quickly, he gathered her in his arms as tears began flowing down his face, "Oh god! Baby! I'm so sorry...Marie...Marie...use your skin..."
Her eyes were unfocused and staring up at the ceiling as her body shook and convulsed, fighting for air as blood filled her lungs. He immediately pressed his face to her cheek, praying that her mutation would take hold.
God must've been listening. No sooner had he touched her bare skin did she begin sucking the life out of him.
Ridden with guilt over his mistake and completely distraught over the fact that he had nearly killed the woman he loved more than life itself, Logan continued to hold onto her even after her wounds healed. His strength should have been zapped along with the rest of his mutation, but somehow, even as Marie became aware of what was going on, she wasn't strong enough to pry herself out of his vice grip until it was almost too late...
Logan awoke to the sun shining in through their bedroom window. He groaned and brought his hand up to shield his eyes, but for some reason, his arm felt like it weighed a thousand tons.
Marie walked into the room carrying a large cup of water, looking as radiant as ever. She smiled, "My patient is finally awake."
He couldn't even find the strength to sit up as he turned his head to the side, "What do you mean 'finally'?"
She pursed her lips and circled the bed before sitting the water down on the nightstand, then using a few pillows to prop him up before picking up the water cup again and bringing it to his lips. His question was forgotten when he felt the cool, blessed liquid enter his extremely parched mouth and flow down his throat.
He drank greedily until the cup was empty. Marie smiled and patted his leg, "There...better?"
Logan nodded slowly, "How long was I out for?"
She paused, "What the hell were you thinking?"
"What do you mean?"
"You wouldn't let me go, you big ape! I took on more of you than I ever have! You almost died! For real this time!"
He closed his eyes briefly, "I almost killed you...I looked in your eyes and actually saw you dying..."
Marie shook her head, "You were unconscious for 5 days, Logan."
That definitely surprised him. He didn't realize he'd unconscious on for so long.
"Look...what happened that night was an accident..."
Logan shook his head, "I'm never sleeping in the bed with you again."
"Yes you will."
"What if it happens again!"
She yelled, "It won't!"
"How do you know?"
Marie bit her bottom lip before rushing into the kitchen and coming back with a knife. He watched in horror as she cut a gash into her own arm. He was surprised when her skin immediately stitched back together.
"You still heal?"
She nodded, "I still heal...hear everything, smell everything...it's all still there, as if I just absorbed you. I think it's permanent now."
"How?"
Marie shrugged and sat down next to him, "I dunno. We've had prolonged contact on three different occasions...it's no surprise that my mutation would hold onto yours after so many close calls."
Logan shook his head, "So what does this mean?"
"It means, you can stab me in the chest all you want...I'm not gonna die from it."
He looked into her eyes, "You're completely recovered from that night?"
Marie looked down and slowly unbuttoned her shirt. He saw three, pale claw marks, barely visible to the naked eye.
He reached forward and ran his fingers over her scars, "I scarred you..."
"You marked me. Big difference. I'm sure these'll probably be the last scars I'll ever get...and I wouldn't want anyone else to give 'em to me."
Logan sighed, "I never wanted you to be cursed like me."
"Well...we'll be cursed together. It's actually kinda cool. How many people can choose not to grow old with someone...but still want to stay together forever?"
He smirked and nodded, "Good point there."
A week later, Marie was in the kitchen, hunting for a snack while Logan was building a fire. Something outside caught her eye, but she went back to what she was doing and walked over to Logan with a bowl of chips. He smirked and pulled her onto his nap as she began whispering sweet nothings in his ear.
She reached behind his head then suddenly pulled a gun and aimed it at the figure standing at the door, successfully stopping the person's advancement.
Marie slowly maneuvered off of Logan's lap as he stood and released his claws, "Step into the light! Now!"
She kept her gun trained on the figure, who put their hands up and moved forward slowly. When they stepped into the light, they both furrowed their eyebrows, "John Wraith."
He had been a Team X member...quiet and contemplative in nature, but still a killer nonetheless.
"John...what are you doing here?"
John smirked, "Damn glad you two recognize me...I thought for sure I would be able to teleport in here without any problems..."
Marie cocked the gun, "You still haven't answered the question."
The teleporter raised his hands again as a show of surrender, "I'm here because your brother needs your help."
Logan retracted his claws and stepped forward, but Marie kept her gun up, "Victor? What's wrong? What happened?"
John sighed and shook his head, "About a month ago, I guess Stryker figured you were gone for good and he decided to start experimenting on Victor..."
"Experimenting?"
"It's actually more torture than experimenting...I couldn't take it, so I left the team...or escaped, rather. Stryker ain't exactly one to accept a letter of resignation."
Marie narrowed her eyes, "And how, exactly, did you find us after Stryker couldn't?"
"You'd be amazed how far you get on a trail when you don't kill virtually every potential witness you come across. Carl and Abby told me to say 'hi' by the way..." She glared and aimed the gun again, but John, once again raised his hands in surrender, "I only talked to them. They're fine."
Logan grabbed Marie's wrist in an effort to convince her to lower the gun. She glanced between him and John for a second before finally lowering her gun. Logan stepped forward, "What is happening to Victor?"
"He had no idea what Stryker was planning for Marie...none of us did...'cept Wade and Zero...he just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I knew if Stryker would snatch Vic up and start experimenting on him...he wouldn't hesitate to do it to me."
After an hour of talking, Logan seemed convinced of Wraith's intentions and invited him to stay on their couch. Marie didn't seem convinced at all and told Logan so as they got ready for bed that night.
"I don't trust him, Logan...why can't we just hit the road again?"
He sat on the edge of the bed, "Victor is my brother...I can't just abandon him."
"No...because he seemed ideally supportive when we were running for our lives."
"It was obvious he had no clue what was going on. I know he would have helped us if he had any clue about what was going on."
She raised an eyebrow, "Oh really?"
"Marie...look at it this way...if Victor was really on Stryker's side, he woulda found us weeks ago. He's the best tracker I know."
Marie sat on the edge of the bed and sighed, "I dunno..."
"If you don't wanna come, I understand, but I can't just abandon the only family I ever knew."
Her expression softened slight, "OK...I understand..I'll go with you."
Review please! We're coming up on a pretty climatic turn of events, then it will be the end of part 1. Part 2 will be contained in this story, so no need to look for a new story. Just keep looking for new chapters!