Logan had just returned from a beer run using Scott's bike when he decided to help himself to a cold one and a cigar.
As he sat on the front steps in front of the parked bike, Scott exited the mansion, "I really would appreciate it if you asked permission before you take my bike."
Logan barely turned around as he searched his pocket for a light, "What's the point? You woulda said no anyways."
"Exactly. At least clean her up next time."
Scott turned around and re-entered the mansion just as Logan lit his cigar and took a long drag. He sat out there, thinking for much longer than he intended. He thought about how the hell Jean had ended up in his room...and more importantly, how he could make things right with Marie.
He only hoped that she wouldn't go crawling back to the cajun.
It was probably well past midnight by the time he polished off his 6-pack and was preparing to call it a night when he heard an engine start up in the garage.
He watched as the mansion's black Range Rover rolled onto the driveway and to the gate.
Curious as to who would be leaving so late at night, he took a closer look at the driver of the vehicle and recognized the unmistakable profile of Marie.
Watching as she turned right out of the mansion gates, Logan quickly jumped on the bike and took off after her.
At first, he figured she was probably going for a quick drive, or maybe even a liquor run, but when she didn't stop and got on the highway, Logan grew concerned. He kept a safe distance behind her, being sure to never get close enough to raise any suspicion.
Before he knew it, dawn had broke and his eyes were heavy. They'd been driving for hours.
Luckily, Marie must've decided she'd needed a break too and pulled off at an exit with a rest stop and diner.
Logan pulled behind an 18 wheeler and watched as she filled the gas tank of the Range Rover, then walk over to the diner. He knew she would be a second, so he pulled over to the gas station across the street, used the bathroom, filled up the bike and got a couple of snacks and coffee. By the time he sat back on the bike, he was able to see Marie climb back into the truck with a couple of bags of food and take off.
Again, he followed.
They were somewhere in Indiana and darkness had fallen by the time she pulled off at an exit off the highway. By that time, Logan was starving and exhausted beyond comprehension.
He watched her go through a drive through at McDonald's, then drive to the Holiday Inn Express that was across the street.
After grabbing his own, quick bag of greasy fast food, Logan walked into the lobby about thirty minutes after she did and slid a hundred to the young man behind the desk, "Get me a room directly underneath the girl who just checked in."
The kid hesitated briefly, but one look at the c-note prompted him into action. As he clicked away at the keyboard, Logan grumbled, "Let's pretend I don't need to give you my name to check in either..."
The kid raised his eyebrows and nodded before handing him a key card, "Alright Mr. Smith, that'll be 159 for the night. I have you set up in room 225. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
Logan slid two more hundred dollar bills across the counter, took the key card and smirked, "Keep the change, kid."
When he got to the room, he used his enhanced hearing to listen to Marie's movements. He heard her putter around, use the bathroom, then shower and climb into bed.
He wanted so desperately to march up there, kick down the door and take her right then and there, but he couldn't. He needed to see where she was going first...then he would find out why she left and, more importantly, how long she planned on being gone for.
He had a bad feeling that her little impromptu getaway had a lot to do with him and the "situation" she walked in on.
Like it or not, he was going with her, and he was going to make her listen to what he had to say...then he was going to spend the duration of her trip fucking her brains out...however long that was.
Logan's hand slowly wandered down to the erection that had sprung to life as he imagined Marie's delicious body, writhing beneath his.
By the time they made it to her mystery destination, he was not only going to make her forget about Remy...but he was going to make her forget about the whole damn world.
He slept a little that night, but was sure to make sure to keep an ear out for any movement above him. When she did wake up, he waited several minutes after hearing her leave her room, then promptly took his leave, making sure to drop his key off at the front desk on his way out.
Again, he was following her, being sure to keep several vehicles between them so that she would, hopefully, never suspect him.
For the remainder of the day, she stopped once for food, gas and a restroom break, then promptly hit the road again.
When they entered North Dakota, the highway turned into a two-lane road and Logan found it increasingly difficult to tail her without appearing obvious.
The last vehicle he'd been keeping between them turned off and he was sure she might recognize him as a tiny speck in the rearview mirror.
It was almost dusk when she suddenly pulled the Range Rover to the side of the road near a lush forest. He hung back and slowed down, watching as her far away figure stepped out of the drivers side, then made her way into the forest.
Logan assumed she had to pee, so he pulled over and relieved himself in a nearby group of trees as well. As he leaned on his bike, eating some beef jerky and drinking a bottle of water he'd acquired at "their" last stop, he noticed it had been longer than 10 minutes since she disappeared inside the forest line.
Maybe she had an upset stomach...maybe she was hurt...maybe she'd been kidnapped?
He sat there, staring at the Range Rover as he allowed his imagination to run wild. When she didn't reappear another ten minutes later, he started the bike and drove up to her vehicle. He looked into the trees and didn't see her...so he got off the bike and slowly began walking into the forest. As he scanned the area, he attempted to locate her scent, which proved to be more difficult than he anticipated in a forest full of various vegetation and animal life.
Suddenly a shot rang out and, before he had the chance to move, he was struck in the shoulder by a bullet.
The force of the impact knocked him backwards a bit, but he was still standing when his attacker walked toward him with the gun still raised.
He growled as the bullet dislodged itself from his skin and fell to the forest floor while his skin stitched itself back together.
Marie stood in front of him, holding the gun to his face as he looked at his shoulder, "What the fuck? Marie! You shot me!"
"You don't seem like the type of guy who would respond to a simple slap, so I decided to be a little more zealous in my approach."
"By shooting me?"
"Oh please! It was a flesh wound that barely had the chance to bleed. Stop being such a baby."
He watched her as she put the safety back on and stuffed the gun into her back pocket. Logan, meanwhile, was still shocked that she had shot him and was completely unapologetic about it. Yeah, he wasn't hurt, but still...was that necessary?
"Why the fuck did you shoot me?"
"Why the fuck are you following me? Stalker."
He crossed his arms, "I'm not a stalker."
"...says the man who has been following me across 6 states over the past 2 days."
Logan admitted defeat and sighed, "OK...fine...but what do you expect? You just leave in the middle of the night without saying anything to anyone...I figured it had something to do with me."
The deep sting of hurt and jealousy she initially felt when she found Jean in his bed resurfaced. Before she could stop herself, a couple of tears sprang to her eyes.
Marie knew he would smell them, she only hoped he would be decent enough not to openly acknowledge it.
After she quickly brushed away those tears and recomposed herself, she crossed her arms and glared, "So...you're fucking Jean? You talked all this shit about me belongin' to you and you not wantin' me to fuck Remy, and guess what? I DIDN'T! Then, the first chance you get, you stick your dick into Cruella Deville!"
"When I got out of the shower, Jean was there, and you were there. I wasn't expecting EITHER one of you. I'm not interested in Jean, darlin'. You're the only one I want. You're the only one I've ever wanted."
Marie blinked rapidly and shook her head, "I saw her...and you-"
"You saw her laying on the bed, waiting for me. I was in the shower when she snuck into my room."
She ran a hand through her hair and stared at him. His eyes were genuine as they stared at her, piercing into her soul. Marie rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him, pressing close for an intimate, yet comforting hug.
He closed his eyes and smoothed his hand over the back of her silky hair as he breathed in her scent. Logan smiled, "Baby...you're it."
As they pulled apart, she leaned forward and hungrily kissed him, driving her hands into his hair as he grasped her waist and backed her up against the nearest tree.
When his lips moved away from hers to suckle on her neck, she whispered breathlessly, "Uh...do you think we should be doin' this here?"
"No."
Despite his answer, he continued licking and kissing her neck as he fumbled with the draw string on her sweat pants. Marie gave up her protesting and reached down to unbutton his pants and push his jeans down just enough to release his member.
Logan yanked one of her legs out of her sweatpants, then ripped her panties off. She smirked as he grabbed her leg, raising it around his waist as he thrust forward, quickly burying himself inside of her.
Marie threw her head back and gasped, "Oh god!"
He roughly and repeatedly drove into her, moving her up the tree as the rough bark scraped against her back through her thin, long sleeved tee shirt.
Logan growled and pushed up her shirt before yanking down her bra cup to allow one of her pillowy breasts to fall out of its restraints. Leaning down, he took her nipple in his mouth and sucked hungrily.
Marie's orgasm hit so suddenly, it felt as if the air had been stolen directly out of her body. All she could do was gasp.
Logan, who was still moving in and out of her, slowed his pace and kissed her quivering lips, "Gimme another baby...I wanna hear you this time..."
He pulled out of her, let her down from her position against the tree, then spun her around and yanked her hips backwards so that she was slightly bent over.
She dug her fingers into the tree as he forcefully thrust himself back inside of her and began pounding away at her with renewed vigor. Marie helplessly held onto the tree as he drove into her, making her body jerk and jump violently.
Logan reached up and gathered her hair in his hands, "Come on baby...it's just us out here...don't be shy."
"Oh god...Logan. Logan...Logan...fuck me!"
He let go of her hair and reached around to grasp her breast and pull her back against him, "Where do you want my cum, baby?"
She felt like she was out of her mind with desire at this point. Her thought process, train of thought and overall ability to speak seemed stalled, but she still managed to whisper shakily, "Inside of me..."
He growled as he reached around and suddenly began to finger her clit, "Where?"
As his finger tips played with her bundle of nerves, she screamed out louder than she thought possible, "Cum inside..."
When her body began to convulse around his member, he threw his head back and roared as he spilled himself deep within her.
They stood there on shaky legs for several moments before they finally had the opportunity to disengage from each other and readjust their clothing.
He brushed a bit of bark out of her hair and smiled, "So where are you goin'?"
Marie shrugged, "You remember that hippy lady from the art shop?" After he nodded, she continued as they walked back to the Range Rover, "Well, she has this cabin somewhere outside of Peace River, Alberta. I'm goin' there."
"WE'RE goin' there", he corrected.
She crossed her arms and raised a brow, "What makes you think you're invited?"
"I invited myself. Now come on. Help me hitch the bike onto this rig."
Within an hour, they were on the road again, this time with Logan driving. Marie fell asleep in the front seat as he followed the GPS instructions to Peace River. He drove straight through the night, but ended up having to wake Marie up for further instruction when they did reach the rustic, remote town.
Marie fished a piece of paper out of her bag and read, "Ok...it says, take the only right you can in town, then follow that up the mountain. It's the only cabin you'll find before you reach the end of the road.
Logan glanced over at a general store, "We should make a stop. The clothes on my back are the only ones I got."
After stocking up on groceries as well as some clothes and toiletries for Logan, they got back in the car and headed toward the cabin.
He smiled as he stroked her thigh, "So, how much did the hippy chick charge you for this little get away?"
"Six hundred for two weeks."
"Wow...wonder it it's worth the money."
She stretched out in her seat and yawned, "Better be. That drive was ridiculously long."
"How'd you manage to stash that kinda money away while livin' with the cajun?"
Marie rolled her eyes at the mention of Remy, "I know all of Remy's tricks and I know full well how to look out for myself when he's trying to gamble away the last of our money."
"I'm kinda surprised the swamp rat isn't accompanying you on this trip."
She smirked, "Don't play dumb...it's obvious he and I were on our last leg before you and I...ya know-"
"Started fucking."
"I wasn't gonna put it that eloquently, but yeah. Fucking." He grinned as she continued, "Well...you weren't the only one I was sneakin' away from...he has no idea I left either."
A few minutes later, Marie and Logan pulled up the hill to the log cabin. They rolled to a stop and sat in silence as they both stared at the eerily familiar place.
After what felt like an eternity, Marie cleared her throat and got out of the car as Logan helped her gather their belongings.
They stepped inside to find a leather couch sitting in front of a large stone fireplace that a beautiful Native American tapestry hung over. To the left of the living room, there was an open kitchen with a table and two chairs.
Not a word was spoken as they put away groceries and continued curiously looking around the place.
Marie walked into the bedroom by herself and slowly set her bags down. She grabbed the pair of clean sheets out of the linen closet she, oddly, had no trouble finding and put them on the bed.
Logan entered the room just as she finished smoothing the quilt over the top of the bed. He leaned against he door frame and stared at her, unable to shake the feeling of deja vu that seemed to overwhelm him everywhere he looked in that place.
He cleared his throat, "This place is...uh...great."
She nodded as she continued looking around the room, "It's very beautiful."
After making love, Marie slipped into one of Logan's freshly purchased plaid shirts while he showered. She opened the door and stepped out to stare over the mountainside. The fact that she couldn't shake the feeling that she had been there before couldn't simply be dismissed.
She'd never felt that way about anywhere before.
"What are you doin' out here?"
Marie turned around to smile at Logan, who had emerged from the cabin to join her and was now dressed in a pair of pajama pants.
She smiled and turned back to admire the view of the mountains as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her before kissing the back of her head, "I like it here."
"Yeah...me too."
That night, as they laid in bed naked, she rolled onto her side to say something, but then plopped back down onto her back. She repeated that motion several times before Logan groaned, sat up and turned on the lamp, "Something's on your mind. Spill it."
Marie sat up, "This place...it feels familiar. It feels like I've been here."
"Maybe it's just that kinda place..."
"What? You feel the same way?"
Logan shrugged, "It's probably nothing."
"No, Logan...I look at this place and I feel like I know every nook and cranny...I feel like I'm home here more so than anywhere else I've ever been."
He looked at her and nodded, "OK. So, even if we both feel this way...how do you explain it?"
"I dunno..."
The next morning, Logan woke up to the smell of sizzling bacon. After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he shuffled into the kitchen and favored Marie, who was wearing nothing but one of his wife beaters, with a kiss to her cheek.
She smiled and handed him a mug of steaming black coffee, "Sleep well?"
"Woke up even better", he said as he smirked at the sight of her body in the scantily clad ensemble.
Marie rolled her eyes and turned back to the frying pan as Logan came up behind her and kissed her neck. She squirmed and shoved him away with her hips, "Get plates. Breakfast is ready."
"We're on vacation. Why can't we have dessert first thing in the morning?"
She smiled as she piled food onto their plates and sat down, "Eat your food, dirty boy."
They ate in comfortable silence, then spent the day exploring the surrounding woods and making love. That evening, after showering, Logan used the small grill out back to fix dinner.
When he came back in, he noticed her staring out the window and grabbed her a beer from the fridge. When he walked over and handed it to her, she looked down at his hand as it connected with hers, and gasped as the memory Professor Xavier had drawn from her mind connected with her present day.
She dropped the beer and stumbled back as she blinked rapidly and shook her head. She looked around, and it finally all came crashing back.
This was it...this was the place she'd had glimpses of during her session with he professor. The tapestry...the stone fireplace...the view...and the hand...the hand that handed her the Molson's. Large, calloused...strong...
"Marie! Are you alright?"
Her glossed over eyes slowly moved upwards to meet his, "We were here..."
Logan nodded slowly as he gingerly ushered her over to the couch, "Yeah...we ARE here..."
He wasn't sure if she was going crazy or was about to faint, so he just rubbed her back and watched as she confusedly shook her head and continued to frantically look around the room.
"We were here, Logan...just over 15 years ago. We were here, together. We lived here together!"
He furrowed his eyebrows, "What are you talking about?"
"I woke up 15 years ago after 3 Mile Island, with no idea who I was or how I got there-"
Logan quickly held up a hand to cut her off, "Wait a second...15 years ago? Three Mile Island?" She nodded as he continued, "I...that's where I woke up...15 years ago with no recollection of who I was..."
"We...we were together."
He almost seemed unwilling to believe it as he shot out of his seat and began pacing, "But I didn't see you! I think I would have remembered seeing you."
"Well, I didn't necessarily wake up ON the island...I woke up at Remy's place-" Her voice trailed off as she shook her head and ran a hand through her hair, "He said I was alone...that I didn't have anyone with me...this doesn't make any sense."
Logan growled, "That fucking swamp rat knows something about you...about us! About our past! He's hiding something."
"Remy is a lot of things, but...hiding my past even though he knew how desperately I needed to know-"
"...sounds like something he would do if there was a decent enough self serving reason behind it."
Marie shrugged, "And what reason would that be?"
Logan softened his gaze when he turned to her before brushing his fingers over her cheek, "You."
Sorry for the crazy long absence. Work, family and general craziness has taken up a lot of my time over these past couple of weeks. Please review, and I'll try to get this next (and last- I hope) chapter up soon!