Hello All. I'm back with the bachelorette party. This chapter gave me a few problems. I had different scenarios in my head, but I kept coming back to this particular one.
What made ya want ta marry Logan? Ororo deliberately swirled the contents of her wine glass as she contemplated Rogue's question. Together with Rogue, Jean, Heather Hudson, Betsy, and Cecelia, they were all congregated in the cabin's living room, being raunchy, enjoying each other's company and feasting on wine, mimosas, soda, juice, champagne cocktails, fruit platters, a combination of charcuterie boards, seafood platters, hamburger sliders, and a variety of cupcakes and donuts a wide array of hors d'oeuvres and finger sandwiches of the ladies' pre-wedding get together. This was how she envisioned spending her last night before she crossed the line into marriagedom again. The only rule was that they did not label their get together a bachelorette party because Ororo did not consider herself a bachelorette, having been twice engaged and once married.
There was really no need for her to think of her answer to Rogue's question, as it was already at the forefront of her mind and to be honest, she was positive she wore her answer on her face for all to see. She took stock of all the faces eagerly awaiting her reply. She took a sip of the expensive Napa Valley merlot before offering her answer.
She gave her friends a soft smile. "It is not what made me want to marry him, but who," she started. She grinned at the confusion-marred faces before clarifying. "Who Logan is, is the reason why I am marrying him. For years, he and I danced around each other, knowing we belonged together. But it was never the right time."
"Until now," Jean supplied.
Ororo nodded. "When people see Logan, the first thing he is called is an animal, crude and deadly."
"Intense," Jean butted in, remembering the times Logan pursued her. She could write a damn bestseller about Logan's dogged pursuit of her.
"But you saw beyond that. You saw the man he truly is. Just like my Mac and I," Heather Hudson said, smiling at the woman she knew brought about a profound change and the best in her longtime friend.
"He is possessive, passionate, loving, and loyal. He makes me feel confident, beautiful and sexy," Ororo continued, a loving smile splaying her lips. "When he is dedicated to you, he is relentless and forceful in that dedication. I count myself the luckiest woman to be his mate and his wife."
"She's tamed the Wolverine," Betsy interrupted laughingly. "Bloody hell. Never thought I'll see the day."
"Nah, Wolverine ain't tamed. I saw him ready ta take Panther's head off at the engagement party," Rogue tossed in, downing a champagne cocktail.
Jean groaned. "Let's not mention your Highness." She sniped, as she went to the buffet table to replenish her empty plate. She had never liked T'Challa, but kept her opinions about that to herself, because she wanted her sister to be happy. Her telepathic abilities gave her insight into the true nature of the man. And to top of her dislike of the King was the fact that he had unapologetically hurt Ororo.
Ororo snickered as Betsy and Rogue back and forth about Logan's supposed tameness. She shook her head as she filled her plate with cheese, crackers, spring rolls, and shrimp tempura. Returning to her seat, she decided to put the issue of Logan's tameness to rest. "One could never tame the Wolverine. He is not to be tamed. And I would not want him tamed anyway…for obvious reasons."
"So, you're telling us the claws usually come out when you're shagging?" Betsy inquired.
"I do not kiss and tell," Ororo replied around a wink.
"Come on 'Ro. That's the best part," Rogue interjected. "Give us something."
"The damn rain showers should be a dead giveaway Rogue," Jean grumped. "Not to mention the downed trees by the lake."
Ororo tossed her pregnant sister a furtive smile. "What can I say? My man leaves me thoroughly satisfied and wanting more at the same time."
"Us hot blooded women have all wondered about the Wolverine." All heads swiveled to Cecelia. "What? Not because I am married does not mean I can't look," she defended. "You have to admit, that man is the total package, when he isn't being scary."
"What about Blue? He's a feral like Logan," Rogue asked, her curiosity suddenly piqued.
Cecelia smiled coyly. "Hank's an animal in the sack when he wants to be. Mostly he's loving, giving and all that I need."
A collective aww could be heard around the room.
"He hits the spot every damn time."
Each woman whooped and gave high fives all around after Cecilia's declaration.
"Damn….and here I was thinking Hank was so innocent," Rogue said, fanning herself for effect. She turned to Betsy. "What about wingman?"
Betsy spat out the mimosa she had just taken a sip of. "What about Warren?"
"We want to know if he lives up to his moniker of Angel?" Ororo questioned, loving the raw banter she was having with the women.
Betsy's face turned beet red as she looked at her friend slack jawed. It seems the free-flowing alcohol was beginning to loosen some tongues. "My sex life with Warren is very enjoyable."
"That's it? That's all you're going to give us?" Jean asked. "I bet he's the devil in bed."
"And how would you know, pregnant one?" Betsy challenged.
Jean tapped the side of her head. "Not all the noises get filtered out sometimes. Especially that night he came back from that two-week business trip."
"What did you hear?" Betsy asked, brows drawn together.
"Heard you screaming like a banshee that night," Jean replied, laughing at her fellow telepath.
Betsy mumbled something unintelligible while taking a sip of her drink. "Yeah, I didn't filter you and Cyclops out a few times either."
Rogue quickly jumped on that. "What's Cyclops like in bed, Jean? I mean the man literally has a stick up his ass."
"She is currently knocked up, so I would say pretty good," Heather offered, popping a strawberry into her mouth.
Everyone turned to look at the Canadian. "What? Looks could be deceiving," she replied around a sip of her gin and tonic. "And before you ask, Mac is a tiger in bed."
The women all hollered with delight. After they quieted down, Jean turned to Rogue. "Ok Rogue, what about Remy? You've asked all of us what our men are like. What about yours?"
Rogue's tone took on a dreamy quality. "Remy is…flamboyant in bed."
"What the hell does that mean?" Betsy demanded.
"It means we've tried everything and every position at least once."
"Bloody hell," Betsy whispered, ideas of different positions rattling about her head.
"Wow. Gives new meaning to ragin' Cajun," Cecelia tossed in. "The man does have a flair for the dramatic."
For a while after, the women ate and drank to their hearts' content, holding side conversations with each other. They enjoyed each other's company, none more so than Ororo. She had not always been the life of the party, the extrovert. She was always the one to hold a tight rein on her emotions, not only because the opposite would have devastating consequences where her powers were concerned, but simply because she did not want to get hurt. Her relationship with Forge had taught her a valuable lesson and she had shut down the more carefree side of herself, the side that allowed her to fall in love and show her feelings easily.
That strategy worked well until Logan entered the fray. Everything went to proverbial hell with one look at him and one second in his presence. Over time, she did the thing she swore she was never going to do again. She fell in love with him. He loved her too, there was no doubt, but the time was never right for them to express that mutual love to each other. His relentless chase of Jean and an illusive past and her T'Challa debacle had her thinking that the time would never be right. But like all things fate decreed, when it was their time, it was their time. Everything eventually fell into place and now, here she was, less than twenty-four hours away from saying "I do" to her soulmate.
Ororo sat back, her legs crossed, glancing at her friends. The smile on her face was brilliant. She could not have asked for a better environment where she could finally feel free enough to become the life of the party and loosen her grip on that tight control.
"'Ro, you could melt butter with that smile," Heather remarked happily.
"Just a trip down memory lane," Ororo replied, the smile transferring to her voice. She looked around the room, all eyes suddenly on her. Offering each of her friends a piece of that smile, she said, "I just want to thank all of you for being here with me. You all have in someway over the years, prepared me for this moment in my life. I could not have asked for better friends and the sisterhood I share with all of you. Thank you for being here for Logan and I and celebrating our happiness."
There wasn't a dry eye after Ororo wrapped up her heartfelt words. Jean was the first to recover. She cleared her throat of the emotion clogged there and raised her glass of orange juice in salute. The others did the same. "I think I speak for everyone here, in saying that there's no where else we rather be."
The shrill ringing of the doorbell broke the emotionally charged moment. They looked at each other wondering who was at the door wanting entrance. They all missed the sly smiles on Jean's and Betsy's faces as Heather and Rogue went to answer the door.
A few seconds later, Gambit's voice rang out. "Never fear ladies, yo men be here."
Ororo's eyes homed in on Logan as the men, including Warren who had been late to the bachelor party, entered the room one by one. Logan's smile was downright lascivious when he saw her. They made a beeline for each other, never giving a thought to the whole "no seeing the bride the night before the wedding" thing. As their hands went around each other and their mouths fused together, their friends and family present knew that Logan and Ororo were never sticklers for tradition and from the looks of things, would never be.
