Marvel owns the X-men, no profit is to be made from this work.
Sitting alone in the kitchen with two empty bottles beside him, Logan looked down to the napkin that had served as his notepad for proof that he hadn't dreamt the whole thing. Taking a long swig, he remembered the day she had left. He had seen it coming, but just like another tough choice in her life he hadn't stood in her way. Just as before he made sure it was what she wanted and told her an honest truth, that he'd always be there for her if she needed it. Shaking his head with a satisfied grin, she had ended up doing just that tonight. Looking to the time he knew there was no way he was going to get any sleep now and pounded back the last of his beer.
Walking through the school that had become his home he looked to the pictures that hung on the walls of all the kids that had come since, stopped to linger at those that had followed in her footsteps and gone out to find their place in the world. Heading to his room he stopped by the den, looking in to see Jones there as usual watching the television.
"Anything good on at this hour?" Logan asked.
"Not usually, just watching what Theresa had on the DVR." Jones answered without looking away, apparently caught up in some show about vampires.
Smirking, Logan left him alone to make his way back to his room to get changed. Thinking of Marie huddled and spending the night in some car had him half ready to hop on his bike and drive out to her just to make sure she was alright, but at the same time he knew he had to trust her knowing she wasn't that girl that had snuck into his camper all those years ago. Going through the pile of dirty laundry laying in the one corner, he rifled through his jeans until he found his wallet. After an argument he had finally won she had told him the first town she'd hit on her way back, promising her to wire some travelling cash. Looking for the keys to his bike, he remembered just why he had been so pissed off earlier.
"Be back in an hour my ass." Logan growled as he stalked off to the garage.
Looking at the lined up cars, something about everything that had happened so far had him needing to feel the wind in his hair and that thrill of racing down the road listening to the roar of his Harley. Shaking his head he decided to give her another half hour and found the beer fridge by his tool box, pulling out a cold one and cracking it open.
"Hell, might as well do somethin' useful while I wait." Logan rambled to himself as he spotted that one car he knew was due for a tune up.
Twenty minutes later with his head under the hood and popping on a new distributor cap he caught the first hint of his bike and knew it wouldn't be long now. Sure enough he heard the engine cut just outside the gates and listened to the sound of it being pushed up the drive in some vain attempt at stealth. The garage door rattled and shook as the opener kicked on, hearing her swear spotting the light flooding the night beyond. Slamming the hood and leaning against the car with his hands greasy, Logan crossed his arms and worked 'The Look' as he heard most of the kids around the school call it.
Watching her walk his bike right back to where it belonged, he waited as she avoided his gaze to just amble over to his toolbox and drop the keys on it and pull off her helmet. Sipping his beer, he waited as she rummaged his fridge and pulled out two bottles of Blue. Making her way over, she handed one off as he finished his last sip, struggling to open her own. Cracking his own open he handed it to her and took the other.
"Mind telling me why you're late?" Logan asked.
Shaking her head, she started walking off to the door without a word, just sipping her beer quietly. Sidling up to his bike he saw that it was as close as you could get to full from here to the nearest gas station. He caught her indignant muttering and wondered if she really thought he couldn't hear her.
"Full tank just like you asked, I even topped up the tires. The back was a little low." Jubilee muttered as she faced the door, her hand resting on the knob.
"Good, I gotta head to town, need ta wire a friend some money." Logan said, keeping the details to himself for now.
Grabbing his keys and finishing his beer, he made his way back over to his bike and saw that she was still standing there at the door. Climbing on, he started walking it back out and caught her looking at him. Raising a brow in question he waited, the ball thrown in her court.
"You know you can do that on the internet right?" Jubilee asked.
"I feel like going for a ride, you're just damn lucky ya got back when ya did." Logan answered, starting the bike and listening to the low characteristic rumble.
Watching her from the corner of his eye, sure enough she fumbled with the knob between a hiss of breath. Setting her beer down she took knob in her other, opening it and gathering up her brew while keeping the door open with her foot.
"Get some ice on that hand." Logan called after her, watching her go stiff.
"They got a speed trap by that one blind hill." Jubilee said before letting the door close behind her.
Shaking his head he knew that conversation could wait, right now he had a promise to keep and he was damn well gonna make sure the money was there waiting. Adding to the things he would have to tell Ro in the morning, Logan lost himself to the open road and made sure to keep an eye out for that speed trap. A half hour later he pulled into town and found that one gas bar he knew he could wire some cash from at this early hour. Picking up some jerky and a cigar, he filled out all the paperwork and passed off a the cash, more than enough to get Marie and her friends home.
"Home." Logan said to himself, wondering if she still thought of it that way.
Tucking the cigar away and chewing on his jerky, he walked out to the edge of the road and stood there listening to the buzz of the streetlight and the tinkling noise of the moths drawn to it. The sky looked black beneath it, the stars washed away. It was one of those warm nights made for tearing down the back roads and letting loose. Logan had to hope wherever she was that the night was just as peaceful and warm.
Surprised to feel his phone rumbling away in his jacket, he pulled it out and saw it was her. It was a text and Logan just shook his head, never having understood why people just didn't call instead. Finding his way over to a picnic table standing over shattered beer bottles and cigarette butts he lit up his cigar and started to read the text. Hi, couldn't sleep. You awake still? Picturing her curled up in a blanket, tapping away on her phone with the glow lighting her face, Logan fought the urge just to call her and broke down to play her game instead.
Went for a ride, don't worry kid, just got done wiring you the cash. Logan punched in after a long moment of struggling with the tiny buttons on his phone, all thumbs as always even if that's all it took.
Flicking his ash and staring out into the night, the breeze carried the scent of an old coyote he knew prowled the edges of town. Spotting the glint of eyes catching the light, he held his gaze until his phone started shaking again.
Thanks...really Logan.
We're gonna take the back roads so I'm thinking we won't be there be there till the afternoon. Tryin to keep Abby away from crowds.
Just enough time to have that talk with Ro in the morning and get things ready he thought, not their first time they had someone that needed a gentle touch and some space. They'd turned the old carriage house into a guest house of sorts a couple of years back and he knew just the right couple of troublemakers he'd draft to air it out.
You just be safe, any problems and you call me, ya hear? Logan fumbled to type out, thankful one of the kids had shown him how to turn off that damn autocorrect.
The reply came quick, just a smiley face, Logan smirking at it in kind. Get some sleep, I'll see ya when I see ya. Logan sent back, waiting there until he was sure she had nothing more to say. Catching a movement out of the corner of his eye he looked up to see that old coyote stalking out of the brush and sniffing around the trash. Pulling out the last of his jerky he held it out and watched the ol' coyote slowly stalk up to snatch it. Scratching behind it's ear as it chomped away, Logan felt a memory stir, of snow and blood and the howling of wolves.
"Don't go gettin' used ta this, now get." Logan said, the coyote rushing off.
Mulling it over he added it to the strange tapestry of his past woven out of visions, dreams and moments of deja vu. Tossing the stub of his cigar down, he crushed it under foot and found his bike, pulling out and peeling off down the lonely roads. He didn't need to look to know that coyote was running along side out in those shadowy trees, somehow feeling right in that moment. The wind carried all he needed to know as he gunned the engine and outpaced it, hearing it's lonely howl some heartbeats later.
Tearing through the night, Logan couldn't follow his own advice, any chance for sleep long since lost. Waiting out the dawn, he found his peace with the wind in his hair and the howls that rose from time to time.
Author's Note : Many thanks for the favourites and follows. This will be my first Rogan fic, so I hope you all enjoy. More to come soon, this one just felt like it deserved to be it's own chapter.