He stared at her as she pulled the clothes out of the bags Storm had brought her. Marie couldn't fit into any of the clothes she'd left behind in the cabin that he had hung onto, so Storm and Jubilee went to the local maternity store and got her a couple things. She at least needed some articles of clothing that would last until after the paternity test.
Logan wished there was another way it could be done. He didn't like the idea of her having to deal with such a painful procedure, but she reassured him it had to happen.
Marie's voice snapped him from his thoughts as she did a little turn, "What do you think?"
He smiled sadly, "You look beautiful...as usual."
She bit her lip and sat down beside him, "This is a nightmare, isn't it?"
Logan stared into her eyes before cupping her face in one hand and shaking his head, "No...a nightmare would be if I never saw you again. I'm thankful I got you back. Right now, that's all that matters."
Marie smiled and leaned over to lay a chaste kiss against his mouth...well, it was supposed to be chaste, but it quickly turned into a heated make out session that found Marie straddling his lap.
He desperately ran his hands up her back and through her hair as their tongues intertwined and explored each others mouths. The only time he broke the kiss was to pull her dress over her head and toss it to the floor.
His breath caught in his throat when he got an eyeful of her gorgeous breasts, which were much larger than he remembered. Logan leaned forward and captured one of her perfect, pink nipples in his mouth, making her jump and gasp in pleasure.
It was immediately obvious that her breasts were not only larger, but they were also far more sensitive. She began grinding down on him and gasping as his sucked and nipped at her nipples.
Logan was having the time of his life watching her writhe above him...but he needed more. When he moved to lay her on her back, she quickly shook her head, "No...no...please...let me stay on top."
He looked up at her and nodded before reaching between them and unfastening his pants with one hand. He allowed his hand to brush over the moistening lips of her pussy. He moaned in approval as he felt the wetness against his fingers.
Logan put his face in her neck and inhaled deeply. He was surprised to sense something very different about her scent. Obviously, the pregnancy had altered her body's natural pheremones, but this smell was comforting...familiar...gentle.
He touched his fingers to his lips to taste her...yes...she tasted sweeter as well.
She reached down and moved her hips forward, maneuvering so that she could slide his entire length inside of her. Marie stared down into his eyes as she began slowly rolling her hips forward, "Oh...Oh Logan..."
Logan moaned and grabbed onto her ass as she continued moving atop him. He whispered her name and favored her chin, neck and jawline with wet, pecking kisses that drove her even further into her state of unbridled lust.
Marie pressed her forehead against his as she gripped onto his shoulders and moaned his name again. He could feel her tightening against him...it wouldn't be long now.
When she began shaking and trembling atop him, he allowed his concentration to falter and let his body take over. He threw his head back and cried out her name as he spilled himself inside of her.
As their trembling, pleasure-wracked bodies relaxed, he laid his head against her chest as she wrapped her arms around his head and kissed his hair, "I love you, Logan..."
He held her against him and whispered back, "Love you too, kid."
Marie smiled at the sound of the familiar pet name that only he used.
They were laying side by side on the bed as Logan laid kisses up and down Marie's arm when they heard a soft knock on the door. He growled, "What?"
Jean's voice was came through the door, "It's me."
Logan groaned and moved off of the bed to get dressed. He handed Marie a robe, then went to the door and opened it once she was decent, "Come in."
She stepped in with raised brows, obviously realizing what had been going on in the room before she entered, "Sorry...didn't mean to interrupt. The professor wanted to see you guys downstairs."
Marie nodded and smiled politely, "OK."
Logan just crossed his arms, "What's up?"
She pursed her lips together, "It's best that we just talk downstairs..."
Marie and Logan traded looks as the telepath left the room.
When they arrived in the professor's office, they were surprised to see Storm, Hank and Scott there as well.
Logan furrowed his eyebrows, "What's going on here?"
"Victor survived his fight with Logan and now he's actively looking for you, Marie. Thanks to Jean, he no longer has a powerful telepath on his side, so it will be easier to hide you. Unfortunately for us, he still has plenty of resources at his disposal...we need to move you now. He's desperate to find you."
Marie stuttered, "Wha-what about the paternity test?"
Jean stepped forward, "Before finding out that Victor is in fact, still alive, we had planned on taking you to the Women's Medical Center in White Plains for the test...but he'd be able to track you down from there. An amniocentesis is a very sensitive procedure and, if not done in the proper arena, by a properly trained professional, it could pose a serious risk to you, Marie. Now, Hank and I are general practitioners. We know how to provide basic obstetrical and gynecological care...but we can't perform an amniocentesis."
She sat down on the couch and looked down at her hands, "So, what does that mean for me...and the baby?"
The professor, Jean, Scott, Storm and Hank traded looks. Charles slowly wheeled forward, "If there's no child to come after...he will stop pursuing you. According to the documents, his window of opportunity to conceive his son is closed."
Logan was trembling in rage now. He suddenly stood, "You can't find a way to give her that fucking amnio-whatever test, but an abortion...you can manage to secure?"
Jean raised a hand, "Logan, calm down-"
"You calm down! She's been through a lot! She was abused, choked, nearly drowned...and that baby survived. You're gonna throw away its shot at life because it might have the wrong father? What if it's my kid?"
Charles sighed, "Logan...Jean checked with several facilities. The results take weeks...sometimes months to receive back. By the time we are able to have the test done and get the results back, it may be too late for her to terminate. Most doctors don't perform late second trimester abortions unless there's a serious issue with the fetus or a major risk to the mother's health. Should we really risk this? This is the fate of the world we're talking about."
Marie suddenly jumped up from her seat and fled the room. Logan took a brief moment to snarl disgustedly at the people gathered in the office before running after her.
He found her on a balcony, sobbing into her hands. He pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head, "Shhh...it's OK...it's OK..."
She shook her head and broke away from him as she spoke with a raised, trembling voice, "N-no it's not! It's not alright! What if this baby is Victor's? What if I just decide to ignore the possibilities and I give birth to the destroyer of the world?"
He didn't answer. He just shook his head and pulled her against him, desperately attempting to calm her shaking body, "Tell me what you want to do."
There was a long moment of silence as he waited for her to calm down. She slowly lifted her head from his chest and whispered, "We can have kids later...when the timing's right...right?"
Logan's heart clenched in his chest as he nodded. He put on a brave face and stroked her cheeks, "Sure...sure thing, kid...all the babies you want."
When Marie pulled it together enough, he led her back to the office.
Just before opening the door to lead her in, he looked her in the eyes, "You're sure about this...I mean...you're not letting them influence you, right? I want this to be your decision, Marie."
She took a deep, shivering breath, then nodded.
In the office, she bravely looked everyone in the eyes and made her announcement, "I know that this situation is bigger than me...than Logan...than all of us. I also understand that, if this child is Victor's...by deciding to have him, I could be putting our world at risk...so I've decided to...to...end the pregnancy."
She rushed out of the room as soon as she finished the sentence. Logan was hot on her heels.
When the two were gone, most of the remaining senior X Men members let out sighs of relief. Charles shook his head, "No one wins in this situation...least of all Marie."
Scott shook his head, "I wish she had more time to decide. I think she was looking forward to having that baby. I heard her saying she thought it might be a girl."
Charles shook his head, "The prophecy was very strict about the gender. It's definitely a boy..."
Jean sat down and rubbed her temple, "I tried to find a place that would perform the test...but the result turn around time was, on average, two months. Too bad things aren't as simple as they make them look on those stupid crime scene shows..."
They'd made an appointment at a clinic in New Jersey for the following week...on the exact day Marie marked 17 weeks of pregnancy. She was just entering into her second trimester.
While staying with Victor, she read that the second trimester was the "golden age" of pregnancy.
It included fewer bouts of nausea, lower fatigue levels, appetite return...and movement. Movement that Marie had consistently tried to ignore.
Sure...at this point, it still felt like nothing more than bubbles, but she knew exactly what it was. During the past few days, she found her hand absently drifting down to her slightly rounded belly, and lovingly rubbing it in small circles. As soon as she caught herself doing it, she'd break into uncontrollable sobs.
Jean, Logan and Hank took her to the women's clinic and checked her in, leaving her alone with the nurse and physician's assistant as they got her ready and fitted her with IVs. She glanced over at the large machine on the side of the room, "Is that an ultrasound machine?"
The nurse nodded, "Brand new, state-of-the-art with 3D capabilities. We had to come in for a three hour seminar to learn how to work it...didn't even get paid overtime."
Marie swallowed hard, "I know it's not a part of the plan...but...before we do anything...I want to see it."
"You want to see the baby before the procedure?"
She nodded, making the physician's assistant and nurse worriedly look at each other. The nurse started to protest, but Marie quickly cut her off, "I am losing this baby. I've come to grips with that fact...but I want to at least be able to have an accurate picture of what it looked like when I dream of it..."
"Hon, I know how difficult this decision must be for you, but I don't think that's a good idea-"
Marie shook her head and held up a hand, "I know you're used to dealing with women who have had to make this difficult decision for various reasons...but I assure you, my situation is extremely unique."
The two uniformed women nodded sympathetically, looked at each other and silently finished getting Marie ready for her procedure before sitting her on the bed beside the ultrasound machine.
The nurse started up the machine and squirted some gel onto her belly before placing the wand on her stomach.
Meanwhile, Logan sat in the corner of the waiting room with his head in his hands while Jean and Hank watched him sadly. Soon, he was joined by Jean, who put a gentle hand on his shoulder, "Logan-"
His face was bright red when he looked up, "Just...don't talk to me right now, k?"
Of course, the telepath didn't heed his request. She sighed, "You really love her, don't you?"
Logan gave a slow nod before clasping his hands together, "I woulda loved our kid too."
Jean nodded and put a gentle hand on his shoulder, silently coaxing him to express his feelings. It worked, because before he knew it, he was actually talking to her, "When I was in Laughlin City, there was this waitress who worked with Marie. She got pregnant by one of the truckers who used to stop through and try to face me in the cage...he had the worst natural scent of anyone I ever met. Like this shitty mix of musk and bacon" That earned a small chuckle from Jean before he continued, "After the waitress got pregnant, the baby started making her scent change, so she smelled more like the guy. From then on, no matter what, Marie had to bring me my food. That's when I started actually talking to her...instead of just watching her."
She furrowed her eyebrows a little, "Did you...did you smell Victor on Marie?"
Logan shook his head and ran his hands through his hair, "Nah...she smells perfect...even better than I remembered. If that's possible."
"Do pregnant women you know always take on the scent of their baby's father?"
He sat back, "Well, I never really made it a point to hang around pregnant women, but when it comes down to it, it makes perfect sense. When a female is mated, it's only natural that the baby starts to change her pheremones to make her smell more like her mate. That way, her mate can more easily identify her smell and other males can recognize who she belongs to."
Jean blinked confusedly, "...and Marie smells better to you now? Shouldn't her scent be less appealing now if she's carrying Victor's baby?"
Logan nodded slowly as the realization dawned on him. He suddenly jumped up and began rushing toward the double doors that led to the treatment rooms in the back of the clinic...hopefully, he wasn't too late.
Five minutes prior, Marie was watching a 3D image of her baby on the screen. She dabbed at her eyes with tissue the nurse had provided and pointed at the screen, "Is that his hand?"
The nurse nodded, then looked at Marie, "His?"
Marie sniffled, "Everyone swears it's a boy..."
The nurse looked at her carefully, "Do you want to know for sure? Typically, we don't attempt to determine gender until the 18th week, but you're close and this is a pretty advanced machine..."
Marie bit her lip and nodded, "Yes."
The nurse began maneuvering the wand around Marie's stomach, working to get the proper angle to see between the baby's legs. Soon, her eyes widened as she smiled sadly at Marie, "Everyone was wrong...this is definitely a girl."
Marie blinked, "What? A girl? You're sure?"
"Absolutely. There is NOTHING between those legs, see?"
Marie squinted at the image for a few moments before the baby squirmed a little, effectively blocked the view of her lady parts.
"Oh God...it's a girl...it's supposed to be a boy...if it's not a boy it's-"
"Marie!" Logan yelled as he came charging into the room with Hank, Jean and some medical personnel on his heels.
"Logan! What are you doin'?"
He panted and approached her bedside, "Did they-did they do it yet?"
Marie shook her head as tears began forming in her eyes, "No..."
Logan breathed a heavy sigh of relief, "Oh thank god...Marie...the baby's mine. Your smell-"
"I know!" she blurted, cutting him off.
He straightened and looked at her confusedly, "You know? How do you know?"
Marie pointed at the screen, "It's a girl."
Logan followed her eyes to the screen, where a perfect picture of their baby's tiny face was, "A girl..."
"Wait...what about my smell?"
"The baby is making you smell like me. That's why you smell so good to me."
Marie wiped some tears off her face, "That's a little narcissistic, don't ya think?"
"It makes sense though. We're attracted to things that remind us of ourselves the most..."
She sniffled, "Why wouldn't Victor recognize that I smelled like you?"
"Maybe his sense of smell isn't as strong...or maybe he's never been around pregnant women, so he doesn't know how they're supposed to smell. Either way, we need to go...now."
An hour later, they returned to the mansion. The professor, Scott and Storm were surprised to see that Marie was still pregnant.
After convincing the professor that his theory was correct, Marie sprang the gender of the baby on them. That was what ultimately won everyone over. Every document they'd read had been extremely strict about the sex of the baby. Romulus would return as a male. No "ifs, ands or buts" about it.
The fact that Marie was carrying a girl was a sure sign that Logan was the father. Now...they just had to find a way to eliminate Victor, who was the only thing standing between Marie, Logan and their baby's happy, safe future.
By the afternoon, it was decided that half of the senior team members and some of the junior X Men, would escort Marie and Logan to a safe house located in Atlanta. It was a condo located in the heart of the city, hidden in plain sight among dozens of sky scrapers and millions of people. Marie's eyes lit up as soon as they crossed the Mason Dixon line. It was obvious she felt more at home in the south...maybe she would be safer here too.
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