Marvel owns the X-men, no profit is to be made by this work.
Walking down the hall to the Med Bay, Marie heard another of the heated exchanges that had been growing in frequency over the last days of observation. At first drifting in and out of consciousness, yesterday he had been awake and alert the whole day driving the good doctor mad. It was just the sort of reassurance that told her the worst was finally over, lingering at the door to listen to the two arguing. Peeking in, she could see Moira fighting to keep Logan in the bed as he struggled to climb out. Sighing, she pushed the doors open and announced herself to the pair.
"Just the woman I need, tell yuir man here ta park his bare bottom down before I get tempted ta just see how well he's handling a shot of something to make him more agreeable." Moira growled, stalking off to the cabinet and looking at the assorted pharmaceuticals.
"Logan?" Marie asked archly.
"I've been in here fer damn near a week now, and just to prove I'm up to snuff I overheard the harpy there tellin' Ro my tox screen came back clear yesterday." Logan ground out.
"You're nea going to let this go are ye?" Moira asked, turning on Logan with an accusing finger pointed.
"Yer favourite two patients, me and Lee." Logan smirked.
"At least I can bully the lass for her own good! Fine! Ye want out? Here!" Moira yelled, pulling a folded piece of paper from her pocket to throw in Logan's face.
"What's this?" Logan asked, unfolding it for a read.
"Tha rules! If I hear ye ain't following them I'll have yuir butt back down here for another day of observation nae matter how batty yuir driving me! Now git!" Moira ranted, stalking back to her desk and the steaming cup of coffee that waited for her there.
"How long?" Logan asked, looking down the limitations.
"As long as need be Mister Logan, I want to see ye down here once a day until I be satisfied yuir back ta normal and I dunnae just mean yuir temperament." Moira answered, her eyes on some medical journal reading through an article.
Marie could see Moira had won this round, if not the war as Logan walked off dressed in his medical gown giving both a good view of his bare bottom. Following after him, she tugged at the piece of paper until he finally let go after toying with her. Standing out front of the elevator with him, she started to read through it.
"No smoking, no drinking, no greasy food..." Marie read, biting her lip to not grin.
"Least she let me have steak, still owe a few people a dinner." Logan grumbled, throwing an arm over her as he guided her into the lift.
"Should you really be up?" Marie asked.
Logan looked down to her and dared to put her at ease, his irritation from days trapped in the Med Bay fading with a weary sigh. Toying with an ivory lock of her hair, he gave her a long and tender hug before kissing her atop the head.
"Not gonna say I'm a hundred percent Mare, Ro and me both agreed I'm off active duty till the Doc says otherwise. But I'm good enough ta get back ta bein' Logan, the Wolverine can wait." Logan whispered, taking a heady breath of her scent finally free of the taint of the medical bay.
"That's all I want..." Marie whispered, leaning against him in relief.
Their tender moment was disturbed with the opening of the doors that revealed students pausing in mid-step to gawk Logan in little more than a scrap of cloth. Coughing, he reached behind to grab a hold on the drafty back and walked out trying to muster as much dignity he could find. With the catcalls of some of the older female students Marie lost her composure and burst out giggling as she rushed off after him.
Stopping at his door he looked to the cards that blanketed it and spilled out past the threshold to the surrounding wall. Bowing her head to hide the mistiness that clouded her eyes, she looked up to see him reaching out to brush one open and read aloud the name signed within. Sam Guthrie in one, Tabitha Smith another, Illyana and Abby sharing a card that carried the same wish...Get Well Soon. Bowing his own head and heaving a sigh, he looked back down the hall to where the stairs were filled with students watching.
"Thank you, all of you. You can sure as hell bet I will too." Logan said to them, a chorus of cheers and a thundering round of claps following.
Mouthing her thanks too, Marie slid past with him to his room and closing the door with the soft click of the latch locking. She'd spent some days cleaning it up, moving her futon back to storage and finding places of honour for all the little gifts that had come in during those awful days when she couldn't even find the strength to leave his side.
"What's this?" Logan asked standing at his closet, running a finger down one the paired garment bags that hung on a hook.
"You have to wait to find out." Marie teased, the rewards of that one shopping trip hanging there with a play on the classic Don't Open Till X-mas tag taped to each.
Turning on her with a smirk, he tore the strap off his medical robe and shirked it off to stand naked before her, walking back with a flannel shirt on a hanger to rummage through his dresser for some boxers and a pair of jeans. Sitting on the bed she watched him dress, standing shirtless as he noticed a little box sitting near a picture that had found its way down from the wall. Picking up the baby blue box, he turned to her with a questioning eyebrow arched to receive her permissive nod. Opening it he found inside a silver heart dotted with sapphires on a delicate chain.
"Something blue, from both of us." Marie said, smiling at him as he gently held it up.
Placing it back in the box he shut it and set it back down by the picture, one of Jubilee dressed in her coveralls greasy as could be standing with Pete holding her with paint stained hands. Throwing his shirt on and buttoning it up just a few, he joined her on the bed and took her hand in his.
"I'm sorry I put you through that Marie, put all you through that." Logan said, gently running his thumb over her knuckles.
"No, don't. It's over, it wasn't your fault." Marie countered, drawing near and resting up against him.
Taking her into his arms, he pulled her down with him to lay on the bed enjoying a closeness that had been denied them all too long, the simple comfort of lying with another with no need for words or promises as they let the loving touches speak for them. A kiss to her neck, the nuzzle of her nose against his cheek and the trailing of fingers down his arm. The entwining of their legs as she slipped atop him to be guarded in his embrace, both feeling the beating of the others heart within their breast.
Letting their world be defined by another, he felt her fall asleep against him and left her be, pulling a blanket over them both as he joined her for a late morning nap.
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The afternoon was greeted with steam wafting out of the shower and a promise from happier times fulfilled. Hands used to working on another love of his life had shown just how tender they could be with his true love, a forgotten bottle bought weeks before put to use to relax her flesh as she laid against the cool tiles. Their fevered meeting had been driven by their denied desire, the massage after out of their longing to know another in intimate detail trying to find more secrets to share.
Secrets like the ticklishness of the small of her back, to the way he always growled so throatily as she ran her hands through his still damp hair. A knock at the door had them sharing a look of irritation, both rolling their eyes as he fell over her to keep her from any escape.
"Ignore it." Logan whispered, nibbling at her ear.
Content with him and longing to be nowhere else just then, she heeded his bidding and did her best to put it out of her mind. Once again the knocking came and they both growled in vexation at it, wondering at who longed to disturb them.
"Ah hell..." Logan whispered in her ear.
"What?" Marie questioned quietly.
"I think we're gettin' set up, bunch o' gigglin' comin' from a couple o' our favourite little Darlin's and they just vanished without any au du Wagner." Logan replied softly.
"Abby and Illyana?" Marie asked, Logan just nodding.
"Five more minutes?" Marie questioned, staring up into his eyes.
"Why not." Logan chuckled, pulling her atop him that he might admire her in a new light.
Five minutes turned to ten, but after they dressed again and looked out into the hall to find a craft paper arrow pointing off to the stairs. The house was quiet, none of the usual ambiance of students that filled it so warmly. Another arrow was found in the foyer that lead them off out towards the back of the school. The window had been papered over with an order writ there commanding them to close their eyes.
"Ladies first." Logan said grasping the knob to throw it open, stepping blindly out after her.
They got a stumbling ten paces when they heard the door close behind them, having had enough of the game as they both looked at what fate awaited them. The whole school stood out on the lawn with the teaching staff at the back of the pack.
"Surprise!" The chorus went out, a deafening din of cheer.
Standing there holding another's hand, Logan looked to Marie and she to him with a laugh welling in them both. Tables had been set up encircled with chairs, music starting to play while with a glance back they could see a stand of barbeques set up on the veranda come outdoor kitchen.
"Thank you!" Logan yelled, the words feeling weak to express the true scope of his gratitude to them all.
The gathered crowd broke rank and swarmed them, the students all wishing him well and asking him how he was, some telling him how they'd done in his classes after the exams he had missed. Fighting against the slipping grip, he turned to his love who just had a huge smile and the whispered words 'Find me' upon her lips as she left him to his fate. After an age they finally let him go, rushing off to laugh and play and party just as he only ever wanted for them all.
He found her along with all the rest he longed to, chairs and blankets set up at the very edge occupied by them all. Ororo sat with Hank, Moira herself curled up on Sean's lap with the good doctor putting back a beer so easily yet seemingly out of character from the woman he knew. Abby and Illyana sat with Theresa and Rahne playing cards, Bobby and Layla curled up nearby on the green grass. Marie sat fighting for space on some inflatable couch with Kitty, likely meant for children and not two grown women, while Jubilee sat as a canvas for Pete who was the likely culprit for some faux tattoos and face painting he'd seen.
"I owe a lot o' folks thanks, but the way I hear it there are a couple o' ladies here I owe a bit more'n I think I could rightly say." Logan said, looking from Kitty to Jubilee.
The fighting on the sofa ended and though she held her face motionless he could see Jubilee looking at him from the corner of her eye. Treading to Kitty, he offered a hand and helped her to her feet, leading her off to where Jubilee now stood with downcast eyes. Guiding her chin up, he looked them both in their eyes and thought of how in those days down in the Med Bay he hadn't seen either. Gathering them both into his arms he hugged them dear and tight, a welling of relief and happiness filling him as they joined the embrace.
"Ya both have been a right pain in my ass time and again over the years, but then again I guess that's what it's supposed to be like to have a couple o' kid sisters and I'm proud to think o' both o' ya as mine. The words just don't sound right, but I'll say them anyway. Thank you." Logan whispered, knowing his words had found home somehow as they clutched at him all the tighter.
"You ever and I mean ever do that again..." Kitty sputtered.
"We'll kick your ass..." Jubilee added in threat, both burying their faces in his chest.
"I ever do that again, you both got every reason and invitation to." Logan whispered, holding onto them for a long while until they eased free of his grasp.
Jubilee's face was a mess of tears and paint, Kitty's not much better. Looking down to his shirt they all broke out laughing seeing Pete's efforts smeared across him. Throwing it off, he walked past them ruffling their hair alike and stealing the one's place on the inflated sofa.
"Ju Bee?" Illyana asked, her future sister-in-law turning to be blinded by the flash of her camera.
The silence that had fallen over the gathering shattered with laughter breaking out, the younger sister showing her elder just how silly she looked with the smeared paint. Joining his family, Pete wiped his canvas clean and started anew with suggestions from all around him. Watching from his place with Marie with her legs draped over his, Logan gladly took the drink offered to him by Bobby, perfectly chilled only as the Manly Duck could.
"Thanks." Logan said, savouring the cranberry ginger ale.
"Moira's threatened us all with pain of death if we break 'The Rules' until she says otherwise." Bobby chuckled, flopping down on the grass.
Looking over to the woman in question, he raised his can of soda in toast to Moira as she raised her own beer up, clearly finding some pleasure in taunting him with his own pilfered bottle of Blue. Winking to her, he figured he owed her a good many words of thanks and apology too, putting his unnatural hatred of doctors and hospitals to his tormented past. Nodding a greeting to the lady joining her beau, Layla threw a blanket down and beckoned Bobby to join her .
"My daughter asked me to remind you of an outstanding obligation of taking her to a certain ice cream shop in town, expressing that she'd like to visit it post haste." Layla said with a haughty air as if invitation to a regal affair had been overlooked.
"Well, that's dinner and dessert figured out. Ya can tell her soon as I have a word with the Doc I'll be game to start payin' my dues." Logan chuckled, eyeing Abby who looked to be figuring out what she wanted Pete to paint.
The sudden loud clapping of air with the Bamf had most holding their breath out of habit, Kurt standing there in an apron with a chefs hat holding a tray of hot dogs and hamburgers to be passed around. Startled more than most, Rahne offered an apologetic look to the man of the cloth, Kurt walking up to her to bow with a flourish before handing her a burger. Watching Kurt make the rounds, Logan stared hungrily at the sole steak sitting on the tray when it finally found its way to his lap.
"So what are you having?" Marie teased, taking up the knife and fork.
"Ya feel like sharin' Darlin'?" Logan asked chuckling all the while.
The first meaty morsel was cut and held up to his lips, far better than the oatmeal of days before he'd been fed. It vanished for him to enjoy, watching Marie savour a bit her own as they worked away at the tender cut. It was ambrosia to him after so long, the kisses they shared between bites his nectar. Lost to his own little world, it was with the shifting of a breeze he caught the scent of one making her way to their little gathering rather reluctantly.
"Wow, never seen anyone make shorts and a T look formal." Jubilee remarked as Natasha settled down near Ororo.
The promise sworn in that moment between them would be an easy one to keep, but looking at her Logan had to smirk thinking while she was here she might have no other choice but to try and live a little of it herself.
"Oh hey, you got it Pete?" Jubilee asked, Pete pulling a frilly looking envelope out from his paint kit.
Kissing him in passing, she rushed off to the reserved woman, holding it out to her in both hands. Taken aback, Natalie took it and flipped it over to delicately and deliberately peel it open. The card was just as frilly as the envelope, lace and white glitter dusting it, the classic wedding invitation. Logan could see her surprise as she read it aloud.
"You are cordially invited to the wedding of Jubilation Lee and Piotr Rasputin, to be held on the Fourth of July. The ceremony will take place at the Manor of the late Charles Francis Xavier, the reception following after on the grounds. Repondez s'il vous plait." Natasha read softly.
"You're allowed a Plus One, we didn't know how long your boss man was having you stick around, but if you're going to still be around making sure Logan's not remembering like some launch codes or something he shouldn't know...we'd like you to be there." Jubilee said, rambling on for a spell.
Natasha turned the card over, looking down to the name written there and the mask it represented. Cool as ever, she looked up from her place and nodded to the young woman before her filled with nervous energy.
"I will attend, but I just have one thing I should tell you. The name on the invitation is wrong through no fault of your own, it should read Natasha Romanov. Thank you." Natasha said, slipping the invitation back into the envelope for safe keeping.
"You are Russian?" Pete asked.
"Yes." Natasha answered with a glance to him.
"You won't be alone then, many of my family will be here." Pete replied with a earnest warmth for Natasha.
"Oh hey, since you're coming you're also invited to the bachelorette party. You can talk to Kit and Betsy about it, they're the ones planning it. I think that's why Bets ain't here. They won't tell me jack." Jubilee beamed, skipping back off to her beau.
Logan could see it was now Natasha's turn to look nervous at the mention of the pre-wedding party, laughing lightly as he sat with Marie. A glance to his love had him seeing her curiosity at his watchfulness of the most recent invitation, throwing her a wink and leaning in to nuzzle her ear.
"Long story that I can't figure out all the pieces to yet..." Logan whispered.
"So you're her Little Uncle?" Marie whispered in that nearness.
Surprised as he was, he just silenced her with a kiss not knowing how she had heard that secret and not caring. He didn't want secrets between them, not the ones that could hurt or harm her or breed distrust. The only secrets he wanted were the ones that would have her gasping with hitched breath, crying the only kind of tears he ever wanted to see fall from her emerald eyes.
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The barbeque ended slowly, students slipping off as they day carried on into the early eve. Some helped to tidy up, others just breaking out into games of basket ball at the court or some friendly bouts of football off on the rolling lawns. Walks were taken to private retreats, between friends and budding couples, watching it all in the comfort of his arms Marie thought of another celebration drawing so much closer. Like the one to come, on this night Fireworks danced in the heavens after the students had harried her in celebration for everything. The school that was their home, the future they offered them full of hope, and the recovery of their beloved grumpy Headmaster.
"You'd almost think she had been a cheerleader at some point..." Marie whispered, watching as Jubilee was propelled into the sky by Pete.
"Gymnastics, close enough." Logan whispered, his face lit by the dazzling display.
"Seriously?" Marie asked, twisting in his arms to stare into his eyes.
"Beverly Hills Preparatory School, their ace gymnast. Was on her transcript Chuck dug up, read through the whole list when I took on the duties I got entrusted with." Logan chuckled, looking at her with a waggle of his eyebrows.
"You didn't..." Marie laughed, her eyes going wide at the implication.
"Little miss Southern Belle here did a season o' Ice Hockey with a whole whack load o' time in the penalty box. My kind o' lady." Logan growled throatily.
"Oh my gawd is that really on there?" Marie whimpered, burying her face in his chest.
"Got the whole dirt on all o' ya, course if ya want to go gettin' anything on anyone else ya gotta run through Ro. Told me if I went tattlin' she'd teach the students why ya don't go standin' out in a field durin' a lightning storm with me as the 'Bad Example'." Logan grinned, running his hand through her hair as she laid against him.
"She wouldn't." Marie laughed, swatting him.
"Can't say I wanna go callin' her on her bluff, bad enough the time I was doin' some electrical work 'n one o' the kids cut the wrong breaker for me." Logan related.
"Oh god what happened?" Marie asked with a cringe.
"Well fer starters was glad I didn't have no helpers with me, was changin' out a burnt out motor for the pool. Two twenty at fifteen amps, right tingles especially when yer standing in wet earth. Learned my lesson about checkin' ta make sure the lines dead before ya go dickin' around with it." Logan recalled.
"Is that why there's that shop class plaque above your desk?" Marie asked remembering something she'd seen in the garage.
"Do as I say, not as I do. Been a learnin' experience keepin' this place runnin' down to the guts. Not gonna see a kid around here that ain't got their safety gear on, gloves and glasses." Logan chuckled.
"Well except Lee, I remember her splittin' her knuckle open good." Marie tattled.
"Eh, workin' on a cars s'bit different course we still give the kids shit if we catch 'em followin' after us. All those fiddly bits, can't rightly remember where I heard it but someone told me the only thing ya can do in gloves is piss yer pants." Logan added, laughing loudly at Marie's disgust.
"I don't wanna know Sugah." Marie confessed, kissing him against lightly on the lips.
Rolling off him to lay on the cool grass, she noticed the fireworks had ended staring up to the starry sky. Music played somewhere, top of the charts pop that had her longing for some straight up bluegrass that suited her mood. Feeling his fingers dance down her belly, he started popping buttons until it stood bare for him to trail circles on.
"Jubes and Pete want a baby." Marie whispered.
"Oh?" Logan asked sounding curious, resting his hand against her.
"They're just going to let it happen." Marie said, her hand finding his and loving how warm he felt against her flesh.
"Sounds like we'll have ta get a bettin' pool goin' then." Logan chuckled.
"You are not putting a betting pool on this..." Marie laughed, smacking his hand.
"Watch me." Logan growled, rolling onto his side admire her.
"You're incorrigible." Marie whispered, feeling his breath so near and hot.
"So what can I put ya down for Darlin'..." Logan whispered into her ear.
"When do you think?" Marie posed, lolling her head to admire his eyes.
"Now that is an interestin' question." Logan said softly, slowly running a finger along her ear.
"When are we talking too Sugah, due dates or conception..." Marie whispered with a heavily sigh as he started to gently brush his fingers down her neck.
"Somehow I don't see 'em bein' that frisky, course when they get at it..." Logan said with a growl.
"Fireworks..." Marie finished.
"I've seen the kind o' obsessive Lee can get up ta when she's hot for something, shoulda seen her with that Thunderbird. Hope wherever they're takin' their honeymoon it's got room service for Pete's sake." Logan laughed.
"Then channelin' my inner Jubes, pfft...honeymoon fer sure." Marie whispered, thinking it funny she really had a bit of Jubilee in her as much those memories of her lover.
"Well, just depends on where the honeymoon is, both just might be gettin' a different kind o' busy durin' the day." Logan teased.
"What do you know...?" Marie asked horribly interested with how playful Logan looked just then.
"Lets just say a certain few folks were havin' a bit o' talk down in the Med Bay figurin' I was fast asleep, and that it sounds like our young couple are gonna be gettin' one to remember." Logan said, keeping his secrets against the imploring eyes that begged him for answers.
"You're horrible." Marie joked, slapping him lightly.
"Ya weren't sayin' that earlier." Logan growled throatily.
"And just like earlier we're interrupted..." Marie giggled, flopping down on the grass after catching sight of some distant figures heading towards them.
"Well, if this is what I think it is, it's an interruption I don't think either o' us will mind." Logan promised, watching them draw near.
Abby and Illyana both held boxes in hand, just things of plain white cardboard but with ribbons added nonetheless. Jubilee sat atop Pete's shoulders holding his hands for balance with Kitty trailing beside them. Moira and Sean were there along with their daughters alike, Ororo and Kurt nearby both looking serene and peaceful. Hank was nowhere to be seen leaving them to figure he was holding down the fort.
"Well, I think Logan wanted to give this to you himself but..." Jubilee said from her perch atop Pete.
"But I'm nae letting that daft fool off without one himself until I know for a fact that he is fit ta be engaging in such foolishness." Moria sternly said, many smiling at her words.
"We were going to get them matching..." Theresa said, going quiet with the look Jubilee threw her.
"Ugh, no. They'd be a cruising bike and some gawd awful riding gear shy of looking like some His and Her midlife crisis trying to recapture their youth." Jubilee groaned.
"So we just got you something simple." Kitty said.
Illyana brought her box to Marie, Abby hers to Logan with both girls looking eager as they opened them up. Inside were two helmets, the one Logan had commissioned for Marie and some simple flat black open faced helmet for himself. Turning it over in his hands he slipped it on to find it almost a perfect fit as he made the very last adjustments. Marie though stared at hers in admiration, slowly turning it around to stare at the airbrushed art under the glossy finish.
"I sketched it for Logan one night when you were asleep and he wasn't, my Jubilation's friend looks to have captured it well." Pete explained.
At the very bottom of the helmet was a winter landscape full of snow laden trees with mountain peaks in the distance. On the black of it were the stars of the north with even the milky way stretched across, a splash of colour from the aurora dancing lifelike over the star field. It had been the very nightly sky she remembered from years before fleeing onwards to Alaska when she met a man that had changed her life, the first among many who would all in their own way. Back when the only thing she knew was the open road promising her escape.
"It's beautiful..." Marie whispered, sitting there with him.
"Just as lovely as you Darlin'." Logan said with a kiss.
"Okay, save it for wherever the hell ya two get off ta. Kit and I didn't just do a tune up and detail on yer Harley just for her to go sittin' around catchin' dust. Git!" Jubilee bellowed, both Abby and Illyana helping the two lovers to their feet.
"Can Illyana and I bet too?" Abby asked mischievously to Logan.
"Why the heck not." Logan said ignoring the questioning looks, adding with a thought Course the honeymoon's already been picked by my Darlin' so good luck short stuff.
Giggles and laughter came shortly, the two younger girls rushing off leaving him knowing they were likely chatting up a storm between them full of gossip and all the stuff they should be doing at their age. Pulling Marie into his arms, he walked her off to the garage to live a different kind of thrill he'd been denied for long enough, no one else in the world he'd rather share it with just then.
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Author's Note : Hope you all enjoy and my thanks to you all who are. Next Chapter is Party Time!