When they reached the building, which was a mix of luxurious residential condos and boutique hotel rooms, they sat in the lobby, waiting to be escorted to their new spaces. Logan and Marie were to stay in a condo at one of the top levels of the building, while team members were booked in hotel suites and studios surrounding them.
Scott and Jean were to stay in a suite beside them while Peter, Bobby and Kitty were set up in their own studio apartments one level below. Jubilee, Storm and Hank stayed behind with the other team members to protect the mansion in case Victor showed up there first.
The property manager of the building came up to them in the lobby to welcome them. When Jean and Hank spotted him, they favored him with hugs and signs of affection that seemed more appropriate for a long lost family member, rather than total stranger.
Scott looked slightly uncomfortable.
Jean pulled back from the hug while still holding the young man's upper arms, "Oh my god, Alex! What are you doing here? We haven't heard from you in years!"
The man who could now be identified as "Alex" smiled and shrugged, "You know me... I go where the jobs are..." Alex's voice slowly trailed off before he turned to Scott, who Logan realized, had said nothing, "Hey Scott..."
The leader cleared his throat, "Alex..."
"How's life as a superhero?"
"Fine", he said quickly before looking at Jean and kissing her cheek, "I'm going to the room."
As soon as the elevator doors were closed, Alex tried to brush off the hurt on his face and turned back to everyone else, "We've got a 24 hour concierge and doorman, so no one suspicious will get through those doors."
Logan furrowed his eyebrows, "How do you-"
Hank broke in, "Alex is one of the the school's earliest students. The professor enlisted his help and filled him in on everything."
Alex nodded in agreement, "Feel free to let me know if you guys need anything at all."
As Alex left, Jean gave him one last hug before saying something about catching dinner, then joined Logan, Marie and Hank on the elevator.
Logan shifted his weight, "So...what else crawled up Scott's ass and died?"
Jean's smiled faded as Hank spoke up, "Alex is Scott's brother."
Marie and Logan's eyes widened as they stuttered in unison, "Wait...what? Scooter has a brother?"
"They always had a...a strained relationship. Alex and I dated for a while...some things happened, then Alex decided to go away to college and forgo life as an X Man. He stayed in contact with the professor."
When the elevator doors opened and they went their separate ways, Marie and Logan couldn't wait to gossip about Scott's long lost, much more likable brother.
Marie stared out over the city as Logan set their bags down. She smiled as she felt his hands snake around her waist and kiss her neck, "You OK?"
She nodded and put a hand over his as it touched her belly, "Yeah. I'm OK..."
Logan turned her around so that he could stare into her eyes, "This'll be over soon. I promise."
Marie took his face in her hands and smiled, "I'm so happy I'm havin' your baby...and not just because if I wasn't, I'd be havin' some evil spawn. I'm happy cause I genuinely wanna have a family with you."
He laid a gentle kiss on her lips, "I'm not gonna let him keep us from being happy."
She nodded just before he began hungrily kissing her. He led her to the bedroom, where he promptly undressed her and made slow, gentle love to her.
When their passions were sated, Logan got up, took a shower, then got dressed and told Marie he was going to go grocery shopping. He went next door to let Jean and Scott know he was leaving Marie alone and within ten minutes of his departure, Jean arrived to keep Marie company while Logan was gone.
It was understood that, this time, Marie wouldn't be left alone at any time.
Marie exited the bedroom after her shower to find Jean channel surfing, "Hey, you're fillin' in as babysitter?"
Jean glanced up and smiled, "Guess so. Settling in OK?"
She nodded and took a seat on the couch, "Yeah, Scott's not missin' you?"
The red head dropped the remote on the couch and put her head back, "Gah...he's acting weird...the way he always does when Alex is around."
"Yeah...I was gonna ask about that. What's goin' on there?"
Jean gave Marie a long look before finally relaxing and breathing out, "When we were kids, the three of us were inseparable. Charles actually called us the three musketeers."
"Then what happened?"
"Then...we grew up. Alex and I...it's a long story."
Marie smirked, "I don't really have any plans. Do you?"
Jean laughed softly, "Well...Alex didn't want to be a hero. He didn't want to have the weight of the world resting on his shoulders. He just wanted to live a normal life...with me. He tried to convince me that we should go away to college together...I'd become a doctor, he'd become a corporate killer and we'd live the American dream."
"That doesn't sound so bad..."
"No, it didn't. Only it's not me. Alex wanted us to hide from our powers. Pretend we aren't who we are. I think he resented being a mutant more than any of us did...even those of us whose powers don't exactly allow us to fit in with the crowd...I mean look at Scott...I've never even looked into his eyes..."
That last bit of revealed information seemed to jab at a tender spot, making her close her eyes and sigh. Marie reached over and put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry."
"We're mutants. It's who we are. Alex knows that, but he doesn't allow it to have a place in his life as it is. I'm sure none of the people he works or socializes with realize that. We separated on good terms though, but Scott felt betrayed...let down. He expected his brother to help him lead the X Men."
"Do you still love Alex?"
Jean's eyes flicked to Marie, then to the window. There was a long, uncomfortable moment of silence as Jean looked down, "It's been a long time..."
All too soon, Logan walked into the apartment, effectively ending Marie and Jean's in-depth conversation. She patted Marie on the leg and stood, "I'll be getting out of your hair now. You two have a good night."
"Night Jean", Logan said as he put away groceries. Marie yawned and went into the bedroom, where she laid down and began dozing.
He brought her a sandwich and a bowl of soup, "You need to eat, baby."
Marie did so happily before falling into a troubled sleep. Logan laid beside her, watching her. He thought about how close he came to losing her...to losing both of them as he reached over and rubbed a hand over her belly.
"Best defense is a good offense..." he murmured.
He stayed up late that night, wondering how he was going to find Victor so that he could finish the job he started in that cave several weeks ago.
That was the only way Marie and their baby would ever be safe...
Two and a half months after their initial arrival in Atlanta, Bobby and Kitty returned to Westchester and were promptly replaced by Hank and Storm.
Marie seemed relaxed there...happy even. Not only had they settled back into playing Scrabble, Clue and Monopoly, they had the opportunity to go out and see the sights, eat at new restaurants and even go to the movies. Her situation there was a far cry from the isolated prison Victor kept her in.
Her only quarrel was that Logan didn't like worrying her with the details concerning Victor's whereabouts or potential plans to find her.
It came to a head one evening, after Logan had taken her to dinner. He sat down on the couch and sipped on a beer as he stared out the large, floor-to-ceiling windows.
Marie spoke as she pulled a bottle of water out of the refrigerator, "I had another dream last night, Logan."
He sat the beer down and furrowed his eyebrows. He knew that, ever since her initial meeting with Victor, he ruthlessly haunted her thoughts and dreams. It had been the mental scar the now dead Emma Frost left her with that she just couldn't seem to heal from.
Logan pulled her into an embrace and kissed her forehead, "I know you're strong enough to block these dreams baby..."
She shook her head and pulled away before looking up into his eyes, "It's not just the stuff Emma did! It's knowing he's still out there! Coming after me...coming after our baby. What if he finds me Logan? What would he do if he found out he's not the father of my baby?"
He took her face in his hands and looked her in the eye, "That is not gonna happen...you hear me? Don't even think like that."
Once again, she pried away from him as she tried to blink away the memory of being under Victor's lock and key.
"You don't know how ruthless he is. He killed his assistant with his bare hands right in front of me. He's crazy! God only knows what he'd do to our child!"
Logan turned her around, "Marie, listen to me." She reluctantly looked into his eyes as he stroked her arms, "Now...I'm not sayin' that it is gonna happen...but if Victor does take you...lie Marie. Lie like our baby's life depends on it...cause it will. If he finds out that the baby isn't his, he won't hesitate to kill both of you."
Marie pursed her lips and nodded, "OK." Logan kissed her and turned away to sit back down, but she stopped him by asking him the question she knew he didn't want to answer, "Do you know where he is?"
He turned back to her and looked her square in the eye, "Not exactly, but I'm working on it. I know he's looking for you, but that's all I want you to know. You shouldn't be worrying so much."
"Logan! The dreams make me worry more than anything else! I keep thinking I'm going to wake up beside him instead of you..."
Logan shook his head, "Not gonna happen baby. I'm gonna do everything I can to keep you safe."
Marie nodded as he enveloped her in a gentle embrace. As she laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes, she heard a deep, different voice rumble through his chest, "I'm going to keep you...and my son, very very safe."
She recognized that voice...
Marie snatched away from the embrace and looked down at herself...she was no longer pregnant, and the man that stood before her was definitely not Logan. She stumbled backwards, "Victor?"
He grinned toothily and suddenly raised a clawed hand. Just as it came down to slash at her, Marie screamed bloody murder and sat up in bed.
Logan grabbed her shoulders to keep her from jumping up and hurting herself, "Shhhh baby...you're OK. I'm here."
She recoiled from his touch and looked at him carefully before slowly relaxing and allowing him to pull her into his arms, "Same dream?"
Marie let out a breath and nodded as Logan kissed her forehead and closed his eyes tight. Several times a week, she'd have the same awful dream where Logan would suddenly turn into Victor during one of the random conversations they'd actually had in real life, then she'd look down to realize she was no longer pregnant and he'd kill her.
The closer she got to giving birth, the worst the dreams got, it seemed.
Fed up with her not being able to sleep properly, Logan put in a call to the professor for help with her dreams. Upon hearing of Marie's night terrors and paralyzing fear of Victor, he took a weekend trip down to Atlanta.
Emma had "scrambled" Marie's mutation trigger, turning it off and hiding it from her within her own mind. The professor thought that, during his visit, he could help Marie control some of the dreams and repair the damage the enemy telepath had done to her mutation control. He deduced that she would feel better if she had some form of defense against Victor just in case she did get taken again.
After two days of intensive psychotherapy on Jean and the professor's part, Marie was finally able to operate her mutation again, but only some of her fears concerning Victor were quelled.
On the last day of the professor's visit, while Marie was napping, Logan was saying his goodbyes to him, "Thanks for the help. You know how important it is that she sleeps...ya know...for the baby."
The professor nodded and smiled sagely, "Of course, Logan."
Just as Charles started to wheel back toward Jean and Scott's suite next door, Logan stepped out into the hallway, "Isn't there more you could do to help with her dreams? Can't you just make her forget?"
"I could-"
"Then do it. I can't-I can't take hearing her scream like that. Seeing her so afraid...so terrorized...it does somethin' to me..."
Logan lowered his head and let out a breath as the professor rolled back over, "I made the suggestion to Marie right after I arrived. I told her I could take the painful memories away. I told her I could take away every single nightmare she could ever have about Victor and her experiences with him away, but there would be a catch."
"What catch?"
"Wiping her memories of Victor would also rob her of her memories of you and your time together. She said there was no way she would ever want to live without remembering you and what you share."
With that, the professor turned his chair around and wheeled away, leaving Logan standing in the hallway, dumbfounded.
He didn't know how long he was standing there before he finally returned to the condo and walked into the bedroom, where Marie was still napping.
Logan sat down on the edge of the bed and brushed her hair off of her forehead. She moaned and slowly blinked her eyes open before smiling up at him, "Hey..."
"Hey. Didn't mean to wake you."
She shook her head and slowly sat up, "S'ok. How long was I out for?"
"An hour an a half."
Marie cocked her head to the side, "Something wrong?"
Logan briefly shook his head before standing, "You hungry?"
"Uh...yeah", she said as she watched him quizzically. He walked out of the room and into the kitchen where he opened the refrigerator and began searching for something for her to eat.
Marie soon followed and sat down on the opposite side of the kitchen island as he continued to do everything he could to avoid eye contact with her.
"Logan, are you sure you're OK?"
". I'm OK."
She eyed him for a moment, then finally relaxed, "Alright. The professor left already?"
"Yeah. He's sorry he missed you, but I'm sure we'll see him again soon."
Marie rubbed the side of her belly as the baby favored her with a few kicks. She sighed, "I guess I'm not the only one who's hungry."
Logan shut the refrigerator door, "There's nothin' here babe. Want take out?"
She nodded, "Sure, what are my options?"
He rooted around the kitchen, gathering up various take out menus before going through them and placing them on the counter, "Let's see...we got Italian, Cantonese, marry me, Mexican and a sandwich place."
Marie blinked and shook her head, "I'm sorry...what was that?"
"What was what? I was just going over menus with you. Do you have any idea what you're in the mood for?"
She brushed off the questions in her mind and picked up the Chinese food menu in front of her, "I think I want some fried rice, orange chicken and-"
"Why Marie!"
Marie jumped and looked up at him, "What? Is the orange chicken at this place bad?"
He let out a sigh and shook his head as he tossed the menu down, "Why didn't you take the easy way out? Huh? Why wouldn't you let the professor help you? I'm not worth it!"
She sighed, "Fine. Maybe you're not worth it...but I know WE'RE worth it. Come 'ere..." Marie held a hand out as he hesitantly walked over and took her fingers in his. She guided his hand to her belly and looked into his eyes, "She's worth it. Logan, I fell in love with you while I was literally running for my life. Can't you recognize how amazing that is? It's unbelievable! I wouldn't believe it if I didn't live it. When this little girl grows up and asks me how we fell in love, I wanna be able to tell her the whole, unbelievable story."
Logan looked into her eyes, "Well...maybe I'm worth it a little."
Marie playfully swatted at him, then yanked him into a loving kiss. He gently held her turned up chin in his hand as the kiss grew more heated and hungered. She moaned into his mouth as he lifted her from her seat and gently guided her back to the bedroom.
Once there, he carefully stripped her out of her clothes and laid her down before gently parting her knees and diving his face into her soft, sweet mound. He ran his tongue up her slit, making her gasp and writhe in pleasure as he continued sucking and licking her quivering pussy.
"Oh god! Yes...yes...just like that...just like that..." Marie screamed as she raked her hands through his hair.
Feeling that she was wet enough, Logan favored the inside of her thigh with a gentle kiss before sitting up on his knees between her legs and thrusting himself inside of her.
She arched and froze in place for a moment before relaxing and reaching through her legs to tease her clit. Logan quickly moved her hand away and took over the ministrations, gently rubbing the sensitive flesh as he drove in and out of her.
It didn't take long before they were crying out in unison through their mutual releases.
"Ya know", she breathed, "Our daughter doesn't need to know everything about our relationship."
Logan let out a breathless laugh, then kissed her forehead, "I asked you to marry me earlier..."
"I know..."
"So?"
She smiled and kissed him, "Maybe later."
"You cheated!"
"Marie! Why would I betray your trust like that! You know how important this is to me!"
She threw the paper money down and crossed her arms in a huff. Logan had just beaten her for the first time in Monopoly and she was NOT taking it well at all.
He laughed and began putting the board game away.
For about eleven weeks, all was peaceful. So peaceful, in fact, that she began to worry. Marie knew things were going on. The many hushed conversations and secret meetings she kept stumbling upon were dead giveaways.
But she had better things to worry about. She was just under two weeks away from her due date and she had a feeling something other than the baby was coming.
Unfortunately, she was right.
After eating lunch out at one of the local restaurants, Logan and Marie were walking back to their building. Just as they reached their door, Marie heard a voice that made chills run down her back yell her name from across the street.
Logan immediately growled and snatched her into the building just after she had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of Victor, standing across the street in front of a black car. He grinned sinisterly as he watched them rush into the building.
When they were on the elevator, Marie was virtually hyperventilating. Logan snatched out his cell phone, but unfortunately, he had no service.
"Oh god! He found us!" Marie said as she put a hand on her large belly.
"Calm down...I'm not gonna let him touch you again. I promise."
He rushed to Jean and Scott's door and knocked. When Jean answered, "Logan, what's wrong?"
"He's downstairs. Call Hank, Storm, Pete, Jubes and Alex. It's only a matter of time before they strike."
As the troops convened in Logan and Marie's penthouse, Logan handed out quick assignments, "Jean, you stay with Marie. Alex, Scott and I are gonna cover the lobby. Hank, Kitty and Pete cover the service entrance. Jean's gonna be listening out for distress calls and she'll communicate any emergencies telepathically. No matter what, he does NOT reach this level."
In all the rush, no one noticed Marie place a hand on her belly and wince.
At the same time, in an abandoned building a block away, Victor was rallying his handful of troops.
"She's really close to giving birth, so I want her handled carefully. My best guess is that they have about 7 or 8 mutants in there guarding her...we'll penetrate at the loading dock and service entrance. Try not to draw too much attention and if you have to kill, make it quick and as quiet as possible. We're doing this under cover of darkness."
As soon as everyone left the room, Marie, who had been working to hide her pain, doubled over and grabbed a hold of the counter, "Oh god!"
Jean spun around to find Marie, struggling toward the couch, "Oh no...no no no...Marie! Not now!"
"Tell that to her!" Marie yelled as she pointed at her stomach and gingerly lowered herself onto the couch.
"Ok...Ok...your water hasn't-"
A rush of water from between Marie's legs cut Jean off, suddenly sending her scrambling around the apartment for bottles of water, blankets and towels.
When she settled down in front of her, she put a hand on Marie's belly, "We can only hope that you're not one of those women that flies through childbirth. Maybe I should let Logan know."
"No! Don't!" Marie screamed and grabbed Jean's arm, "I don't want to distract him. Victor almost killed him once. He needs his whole head in this fight."
The telepath nodded silently as she watched Marie whimper through another contraction.
Downstairs, Hank, Storm, Alex, Scott, Peter, Logan and Jubilee paced in their perspective locations.
"Goddammit...what's he waiting for?" he growled as Scott stood next to Alex behind the desk. Alex sighed, drawing Logan's ire, "What's his special power anyways? Selling real estate?"
"When you need to know...you'll know."
Logan received a call from Jubes, "We got movement."
"Shit! They're out back!"
They all took off running and arrived just in time to see a metallic Peter using one of Victor's henchmen as a bowling ball to knock down several of his henchmen near the service elevator.
Among the fighting, Logan's eyes scanned the small delivery platform before his eyes landed on Victor, who was just about to raise his hand to strike a distracted Storm.
He ran full speed and intercepted Victor's clawed hand with his own adamantium blades.
Victor roared in pain, then looked at Logan and smirked, "You shoulda killed me."
He slashed Logan's face and kicked him in the stomach before grabbing his hair and kneeing him in the face. He grinned and took off running toward the stairwell. Hank rushed over to help Logan up, "Come on!"
Together, they rushed up the stairwell after Victor as he leapt from staircase to staircase. Hank caught up to him first, but Victor's quick reflexes made him jump out of the way and grab Hank before tossing him back down the stairs.
Logan had to duck to miss the tumbling pile of fur that headed toward him. When Hank landed at the bottom of the stairs, he turned back, "You OK?"
"I'm fine! Keep going!"
He didn't have to be told twice. He was taking the stairs eight at a time and feeling like his lungs were about to explode by the time he tackled Victor.
They rolled down a few stairs, slashing and stabbing the whole way.
Suddenly, they heard Marie's loud, harrowing cry. Both men looked at each other...immediately realizing what that sound meant.
"Ahhhh! Shiiiiit this hurts!" Marie cried out as she gripped the blanket.
Jean nodded, "OK...you're OK Marie...you're doing good."
"Bull shit! This is horrible! There's nothing good about it!"
Again, Jean nodded, "I know, Marie. Just think about your daughter. Concentrate on her..."
"Jean! I can't hold on! I gotta push!"
The telepath checked Marie and nodded, "Oh damn...you're fully dilated." She laid out blankets and towels, "OK, Marie...push."
Marie sat up a little and pushed as hard as she could while Jean counted down from ten. Each second was harder than the last, but Marie made it to the magical number one.
"Good! Good job! Come on. Another big one. I can see the head."
As Marie bore down and pushed again, she screamed out, "Looogaaan!"
The sound of her calling his name echoed down the stairwell as Victor grabbed his neck and tried to squeeze, but Logan stuck his claws directly into his enemy's wrist and twisted, severing his hand.
Victor grabbed the wounded arm and roared, allowing Logan time to knock him on his back. As Logan leaned down to place his claws underneath his chin, Victor panted, "I don't know why you've fought me on this...why you so desperately fight on their side...trying to stop us from fulfilling our destiny.
Logan growled and jerked Victor's collar, "Us? What destiny? What the fuck do you mean!"
He smirked, "I mean our family, little brother..."
Logan shook his head and blinked, "No...no..." He suddenly became enraged and clenched his teeth as he dug his claws into Victor's shoulder, "It's not true!"
After a brief hiss of pain, Victor recovered, "It isn't? Why? Do you remember anything about your family? Do you remember anything at all about the years before that professor found you, aimlessly wandering..."
"Shut up! You don't know me!"
"I know plenty. You are a son of Romulus...the weaker, sniveling, younger one."
Logan yanked his claws out of his shoulder and aimed them at his throat, "You lie!"
"Think about it, runt. I heal, you heal. I'm fast...you're almost as fast...and we have the same taste in women."
Logan's claws pricked at the skin of his neck, "Don't you dare even think her name..."
"Oh don't worry...she'll think my name...she'll think it for the rest of her life."
He smirked, "I don't think she will, cause that prophesied kid you think she's carrying...is mine."
Victor roared loudly and thrashed, but he only succeeded in making his claws scratch against his throat.
"You will never touch her again..."
"Wanna make that a bet?" sneered Victor.
Marie screamed for longer than she thought she could hold her breath as she pushed. She felt like her entire body was being ripped in half and simultaneously set on fire from the waist down. The pain was blindingly intense and inescapable, but somehow, she managed to keep pushing while listening to Jean's commands of "Push!" and "Breathe!" somewhere in the distance.
Amidst the pain, a sudden rush of intense relief washed over her body. She panted and collapsed back against the cushions.
She heard Jean whisper, "Marie...open your eyes..."
Marie opened her eyes just in time to see Jean suctioning out the nose and mouth of a beautiful baby girl who started crying. She took great care in wiping and wrapping the baby up before handing her off to Marie.
A bleeding, healing Logan burst into the room, "Marie?"
She looked up and smiled wearily, "She's gorgeous..."
He slowly began walking in, but Jean quickly shook her head, "You need to disinfect. She's really susceptible to infection right now and the baby is...well, just go wash up. I'll finish with Marie and then go check on everyone..."
By the time Logan got out of his piping hot shower, Jean had cleaned Marie and the baby up and moved them into the bed. Scott and the rest of the team began returning and congregating in the living room as Hank and Jean attended to their wounds, which, luckily, were minor. As he approached the bed, he thought of all the things Victor said in the moments leading up to his decapitation.
"Think about it, runt. I heal, you heal. I'm fast...you're almost as fast...and we have the same taste in women."
Was it true? Could he be Romulus' offspring? And even if it is true...what does that mean for Marie? What does that mean for their baby?
Either way, he would do his best to keep what was said in that stairwell from Marie.
When he approached the bed and looked down into his newborn daughter's face, all the questions in his head suddenly stopped.
Before him laid a baby girl in her mother's arms. Together, they were so beautiful, they rendered him speechless.
As he gently took his daughter from Marie's arms, he smiled.
Fuck the prophecy.
Fuck what Victor said.
Fuck what everyone ever told him.
If the world ends because of the little girl in his arms...he'd die a happy man.
THE END
Alright everyone! I'm hoping I ended this well! Please review!
I also wanted to mention that Karen11, who is a very awesome Rogan fic (AND Rogue/Scott) writer helped me come up with the idea for Marie's recognizable smell. Big kudos to her! You guys should totally check out her work.