As expected, their announcement that they were relocating their wedding to Canada and taking over all aspects of it was met with a few objections, but once they put their feet down and kept them down, the objections were reduced to mere grumblings. With that taken care of, the happy couple set about planning their nuptials their way. Only Charles was given some leeway as he made the final preparations for the engagement party.
The lovebirds journeyed to Canada twice to lay the groundwork for their big day. A few problems had popped up the deeper they delved into their plans. Mainly, they needed an officiant who was licensed in Canada to perform the ceremony. Their original plan was for Kurt to officiate, but that flew out the window once they had decided to move everything out of New York. That problem was easily solved when Logan remembered his longtime friend Mac Hudson was a justice of the peace in Alberta. The quick call to Mac was made and Logan came away with his friend's promise to perform the ceremony and to also take care of the legal paperwork to ensure their marriage went off without a hitch.
With that problem solved, the next one that came to light was where to house their guests for the celebratory weekend. There were no hotels, motels or bread and breakfasts within a ten mile radius so they were at a lost as to how to solve that problem. Logan was all for pitching tents on the vast land of his property, but Ororo's objections quashed that idea. Another idea that surfaced was having them stay at his family's estate he had inherited once his lost memories became his again and his identity was confirmed. Though it was huge enough to hold everyone and the structure was sound, it required extensive work and for the time being was deemed uninhabitable. So that idea too, was struck down. Solving this problem was quickly becoming a sticking point for both bride and groom that it resulted in Logan recovering from electrocution. The answer finally came when Mac Hudson once again came to the rescue, opening his home to the X-Men who weren't bunking at the cabin.
They returned to New York after their second trip up north to little fanfare. All that remained was to finally settle up the groomsmen and bridesmaids tabs. Logan had long ago chosen his groomsmen, but decided he had earned some fun in having his friends sweat it out wondering if they made the final cut. He gained a few expensive gifts and had quite a few laughs as he watched them jumped through hoops to please him. In the end, Scott, Remy, Kurt and Hank were all slapping each other on the backs, glad to be standing up for the Wolverine in what had been dubbed around the mansion as the wedding for the ages. Unlike Logan, Ororo had decided not to keep her friends in suspense. Jean, Rogue, Betsy and Jubilee were granted the bridesmaids' honors.
Logan was very much involved in every step of planning the wedding, which both thrilled and surprised Ororo. Most men would usually leave the details of the wedding up to the women, but Logan was fully invested, even going so far as to helping her chose the color scheme. But with a week to go before their engagement party, Ororo's excitement dimmed. After they returned from Canada, she noticed that Logan was more pensive than usual. Ororo knew her man, even better than he knew himself and her intuition was telling her that something was way off. She initially chucked it up to him doing some introspection, as he often did, as his way of coping with the upheavals that came with preparing to enter the next phase of life together with her. But his middle of the night disappearances and his subdued responses to her were the ultimate clues that this was more than introspection. His pensiveness morphing into aloofness, was not normal, especially when it came to his relationship with her. Resolved that they didn't reach this far to get derail, she knew it was up to her to get him back on track.
She tracked him to the exact place he slipped the exquisite engagement ring on her finger. She didn't bother to hide her approach or why she was there. "What has caused you to withdraw from me? What is bothering you?"
He expected her to come after him and confront him. He didn't even blink or move when she sat next to him on the bench and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He basked in her comfort for a few seconds before leaning forward and reaching down to grab a delicately wrapped box out of a cloth sac. He passed it to her wordlessly.
'Ro gazed at him in confusion before slowly taking the box. She removed the tissue paper to reveal a small oval gold metal and enamel embossed jewelry box. It was obviously of Japanese origin and very old. "What is this?" She whispered.
"Open it."
Her hands were inexplicably shaking when she lifted the delicate top of the box to reveal what was obviously a man's ring. It was solid brass, plain and old.
Logan's eyes never left her while she studied the content of the box. "Take it out."
Ororo did as he said, lifting the ring out of its resting place and carefully examined it. Her eyes widened a bit when she read the inscription…James, my warrior and love. Ororo immediately felt a rush of jealousy consume her.
Sensing her jealousy, he rumbled. "That was the ring Mariko had made for me."
"But she never got the chance to give it to you," Ororo breathed out. When he regained his stolen past, he had confided to her everything about that tragic relationship. She had comforted him while he tearfully recounted their romance. Ororo's heart had broken for him on more than one occasion, but none more so than when he demanded to know why he was doomed to all the misfortune in his life.
"Yeah," he said on a loud sigh. He inched closer to her, gaining comfort just by her nearness. "Found it when I was clearin' out some stuff at the cabin."
Ororo replace the ring in the box and closed it. She laid the box to her side then wrapped both arms around him. "It brought back the memories," she stated rather than asked.
"Yeah. But not the ones ya think," he voiced. Seeing her confused look, he elaborated. "I long ago accepted that M'iko and me weren't meant ta be. Doesn't mean that I ain't gonna treasure the love she gave me at a time when I found it hard ta love myself."
His arms wrapped around her like bands of steel and he continued. "Seein' that ring after all this time brought back the doubts I had 'bout lovin' myself and acceptin' who I am. Have me wonderin' if I'm once again gonna get the rug pull out from under me and lose ya." He turned to her, loosening his hold a bit. "Darlin', I can't lose ya. I lose ya and I might as well kill myself."
Ororo's eyes widened. They've spoken about this many times, but the raw passion in his voice now was new to her. It took her a few moments to gather the words she needed to convey to him. "Dearest, you know as well as I do that the lives we lead do not guarantee us much. However, we cannot let that stop us from enjoying our lives." She took his left hand and placed it over her left breast. "The doubts are always going to be there for both of us because we have both suffered much loss and tragedy throughout our lives, but am I going to let that stop me from loving you with every fiber of my being? No."
Logan's crooked smile was all the confirmation she needed that her words were sinking in. "I know darlin'. I ain't gonna let it stop me either. But it's damn frightenin' every time a reminder pops up."
She nodded understandingly. "It is terrifying. But I think about the battles we have faced together and all that we have went through to get to this point and that takes away some of the terror. Not all, but some. I have come to realize that the terror is always going to be there, however, we cannot let it consume us. Once we do, then it would be the end for sure." She picked up the jewelry box and handed it to him, her jealousy abated. She watched as he wrapped it up and placed it in the sac lying between his feet.
When he faced her, his expression was one of joyous awe as he stared at the woman who held his heart and has held it for what seemed like an eternity. "Ya know yer turnin' me on."
Her musical laugh was a balm to his bruised soul. She eased closer to him. "I had a conversation along these lines with Charles not too long ago. My doubts came rushing back once you proposed. Charles is the one that opened my eyes and encouraged me to take a long hard look and come to these realizations. We are both wounded animals, my love. That is just a part of us we cannot and should not forget."
Logan's hand went around her and he curved her head into his chest. Her intense words, wisdom and her presence were what he needed to push the haunting pain and doubts to the deepest part of his mind. "Ain't no forgettin', 'Ro. But one thing there ain't no doubts or fright about is how this old Canuck feel 'bout ya and wantin' ta spend whatever time I got on this Earth being yers."
Ororo laced his free hand with hers. "The same goes for me, dearest." After a few minutes of enjoying the comforting sounds of nature, she asked, "So what were you bought off with?"
Logan's loud bark of laughter echoed. He knew she was referring to the items he had received from the men of the mansion in their bid to be named part of the wedding party. "I got tickets ta the Flames-Rangers game next month, cigars, a new zippo and whisky. I know it set those idiots back a good penny."
Their shoulders shook with laughter, evidencing the weight that had been lifted off those very shoulders after their discussion.
A while later, a "Thanks, darlin'" was gruffly said, to which a "Anytime, my love" was whispered.
