Logan stood outside the med lab, pacing and seething as he waited for Ororo to finish speaking with Forge. He moved like a caged animal, back and forth, back and forth in front of the closed doors to the med lab trying to hold onto the remnants of his quickly shredding temper. And with every edgy step, he fought every urge he had not to simply walk in the room and pummel the man lying in the hospital bed.
He took two steps towards the doors, his hands clenched at his side, the muscles in his arms clenching, awaiting the final command from his brain to raise and push through the door when he was stopped by a soothing cultured voice coming from behind him.
“Our esteemed colleague has finally awakened.”
Logan turned, the red haze of his anger fading as he watched the blue-haired mutant walk up to him with surprising grace and light-footedness given his large size. He gave Hank a wry grin as he stepped in front of the larger man. “Yeah, he did. But Ororo is talkin’ ta him. She need’s a minute.”
Hank nodded in understanding. “Ah, I see. How long has our weather witch been alone with him?”
Logan sighed while rubbing his face roughly with one hand. The tension was leaving him, but it was far from gone. “Almost twenty minutes.” He reached up and began rubbing his neck trying to relieve some of the cramping he could feel building in the thick muscles there.
“Matters of the heart, no matter how ancient and seemingly resolved can be surprisingly virulent and long lasting to those they involve.” Hank stepped closer, clapping a meaty, furry hand on the smaller man’s shoulder. “Perhaps you would wish to pass the time imbibing some rather well-aged brandy.” He drew Logan away from the double doors of the med lab, and towards his own private lab.
Logan let out a deep breath and nodded. “Sounds like a good idea Blue. Lead the way.”
Just a few moments later, Ororo emerged from the med lab. She looked around for Logan, hoping to find him nearby, waiting for her to emerge. But the hallway was empty. She frowned slightly as she pondered where he might have gone.
Perhaps he was upstairs smoking a cigar in the peaceful silence of the gardens. Or perhaps he was in the garage emptying his frustrations out on some hapless piece machinery that had the audacity to malfunction. The latter thought drew a smile to her face as she decided to go find him. But before she wandered back upstairs, she would go tell Hank that Forge was awake and eager to be released from the med lab.
She heard their laughter as she stood outside the doors to Hank’s private lab. She could not hear what they were saying but she recognized Logan’s gravelly laughter and stood outside the door, smiling as she listened to it. After a few minutes she reached out and opened the door, walking into the room to see Logan and Hank sharing a glass of Hank’s bourbon.
Logan looked up as she entered, still laughing as he raised his glass slightly at her.
She walked over to him, embracing him warmly as his free hand found its way around her waist. “I wondered where you wandered off to.”
He reached out, kissing her gently. “Hey darlin’.”
She could smell the alcohol on his breath as he pulled back and looked at his glass. “I see that Hank has pulled out his special brandy. How are you feeling love?”
He smiled. “Better. Ya talk with Forge?”
“Yes, I did.” She reached out and took the glass from him, tipping her head back and finishing it off in one large gulp. She then slapped the empty glass back into Logan’s surprised hand. “When you are finished here, I would very much to take you up on your earlier offer of a day spent in decadent hedonistic behavior.”
“Ya don’t even have ta ask darlin’. I’m two steps behind ya.” He handed the empty glass back to Hank who took it good naturedly. “Thanks for the brandy Hank.”
“Yes Hank, thank you.” She took Logan’s hand in her own and began leading him towards the door. As they stopped at the door, she turned back to let Hank know about Forge. “I am sure that Forge is most likely chomping at the bit to be released. I know that he is not too happy with me at the moment.”
Hank sighed loudly. “I shall endeavor to remedy the first, but I am unlikely to be able to help with the second.”
Ororo chuckled and she and Logan walked out of the room, hand in hand.
Several hours later, long after dinner and darkness had fallen over the mansion, Logan and Ororo were in their room winding down from their relaxing day. Ororo was currently receiving a much needed massage from Logan.
“By the Goddess, I needed this. You are a god among men for the suggestion.” She sighed loudly as he found a particularly tense spot and began kneading it firmly.
He chuckled at her words, his efficient hands making quick work of the knotted muscles in her shoulders and back. “I’ll take that as a ringin’ endorsement that yer enjoyin’ yerself.”
She gave a deep groan as he continued working. “Immensely. I had no idea just how badly I needed to be pampered until just this moment.”
“Ya’ve been so tense lately, what with Forge bein’ back. I figured that ya could use some, what’d ya call it? Decadent hedonistic behavior?” He ran his hands down her sides and began tracing lazy circles on her skin.
She chuckled, melting into his touch. “Your memory is very astute. Her eyes were closed as she enjoyed the massage for several minutes.
Logan finished, giving her a gentle kiss between the shoulder blades, chuckling at her delicate shiver before he lay down next to her.
She snuggled up to him, laying her head on his chest, her eyes still closed.
He stroked her back softly, enjoying the feeling of her breath against his neck as he pondered the day. He hated to bring it up, but he knew that they were going to have to talk about Forge.
After another moment, he broke the silence. “So how was yer talk with the tin man?”
She sighed, still relaxed against him. “To be honest, it went better than I expected.” She spent the next few minutes telling him what was said between them.
After she finished speaking, Logan lay on the bed, silent and thinking, still absentmindedly rubbing Ororo’s back. “So what do ya think ‘bout what him?”
Ororo snorted, never shifting position or opening her eyes. “I think he is being an ass and I think he wanted nothing more than to upset me.”
Logan snorted in return. “That’s a given darlin’. I meant how do ya feel ‘bout what he said to ya?”
Ororo lifted her head. “Logan, the entire exchange sincerely pissed me off. If you have a specific issue, you are going to have to be more specific.”
Logan shrugged. “Well, he didn’t seem too happy that it was me ya were in love with. Don’t that bother you?”
She looked perplexed at his question. “Why should it? Does it bother you that I love you, or that you love me?”
Logan shook his head. “No, it’s just…” he hesitated as the words deserted him.
“It is just what Logan?” She encouraged gently.
He cupped her cheek, his eyes full of love as he spoke. “I don’t give a rat’s ass what other people think of me, but I don’t want other people lookin’ down on ya just cause yer with me.”
She was incredulous. “What on Goddess’s green Earth would make you think that, much less say it?”
He shrugged. “Don’t know. It just bothers me that he looks down on ya cause of who ya love, that’s all.”
She sat up her anger palpable. “I do not care what that small minded man thinks. His opinion means less to me than the dirt on my boots. If he wants to hate you because of our relationship that is his business and he will have to accept the consequences of those feelings.” She turned to look at him, her eyes searching as he lay on their bed. “His being here really bothers you.”
Logan stood, once again cupping her face in his hands. “Only cause he’s hurtin’ ya. And spoutin’ off ‘bout shit he ain’t got no say in.”
She touched his arm, holding his hands against her, meeting his intense gaze. “Like.”
Unable to help himself, he dropped his hands and turned away from her. “Like marriage.” He was suddenly afraid of what he might see in her eyes when he mentioned the topic.
“Logan, look at me.” She laid her hand on his shoulder, her voice soft and compelling. “Please look at me.” He turned to face her. She cupped his face in her hands and refused to let him move away. “I love you, you are my life. You give every moment of my life meaning; I do not need more than that. If you are happy with the way things are, then so am I. I do not need a ring to know what we are to each other. I do not need a ring to tell the world what we are to each other either. Do you?”
He shook his head. “No, I don’t. We’ve just never discussed it before.”
Her hands fell away and she sighed. “No we have not. But then again, I have never felt the need.”
“No, I suppose ya haven’t.” Logan looked down at her feet. “Do ya want ta get married?”
She was silent for several moments, thinking. “I do not know. When I was younger, I pictured myself doing just that; finding a man to love me enough to offer me a place in his heart and his family.” She crossed her arms over her chest and sat back down on the bed. “Now, it is different.”
“How so?” He sat down next to her.
“I have a family of my own, I do not need a man to offer that to me.”
“What about his heart darlin’?”
She smiled, reaching out to touch his chest. “I have yours. So you see, I do not need marriage. For all intents and purposes, I all ready feel married.”
He nodded, unsure of just what to say to her words.
She stood once more, going to her dresser to grab a nightshirt. “I think we have done enough soul searching tonight. Forge’s presence is causing a great deal more trouble than I expected. Let us go to bed. I am a great deal more tired than I thought.”
He watched her dress for bed, his mind still pondering.
Several hours later, long after she had fallen asleep, Logan lie awake thinking. His mind simply wouldn’t let the matter rest. Like a rabid dog with a bone, it replayed both Forge’s and Ororo’s words over and over again. Finally, in disgust, he sighed loudly and got out of bed.
Ororo had not gotten a great deal of sleep in the past few days and he didn’t want to disturb her if he could help it. He decided to take his mulling mind downstairs. Maybe a cigar and something to drink would help him bring the subject to a close in his mind.
He went to the kitchen and was surprised to discover Jimmy there, sitting quietly at the small table.
He pulled a soda out of the fridge and joined him. “Hey kid.”
Jimmy gave a slight smile. “Hey Logan.” He twirled his pop can in his hands. He’d obviously been nursing it for a while.
Logan opened his soda, the snap of the pop top was loud in the silent kitchen. “What’s a matter, couldn’t sleep?” He took a deep slug.
Jimmy shook his head. “No. Rogue came back.” There was a slight smile on his face as he spoke.
“Yeah, she did. Ya look happy ‘bout that.”
“I am. I was so scared for her.” He sobered a bit. “I was so scared that she wouldn’t come back.” He took a sip of his drink.
Logan nodded. “Me too kid, me too.”
There was silence between them for a few moments, each suddenly lost in their own thoughts.
Jimmy broke it first. “Logan?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you think Marie would mind if I thought of her like my sister?” The earnest tone in his voice made him suddenly seem much younger than his fifteen years.
Logan was puzzled. “How do ya mean?”
“Ororo and I talked about my family, about the possibility that I might never find them and it hurt, a lot.”
Logan nodded. The possibility had occurred to him too. “There’s a good chance that whoever took ya made sure no one could follow ya.”
He nodded. “At first that bothered me but Ororo told me something that changed how I felt. She said that sometimes people we care about die, through no fault of our own. But if we’re very lucky someone will come along to help fill the void their loss causes. And when that happens, a new family is created. Because families aren’t made of just blood, they’re made of love.”
The words were very much like something Ororo would say. But they still surprised and touched Logan.
Jimmy went on. “I don’t remember what she looked like, if she was younger or older or what her name was but I know I had a sister. It hurts that I don’t know that stuff. But being around Marie makes it hurt less. I just thought maybe, I could treat her like a sister.”
Logan pondered that for a moment, taking another slug of his soda. He thought of Marie, whose own family had disowned her after her gift surfaced and Jimmy, whose family was likely dead. And wondered, not for the first time just how lucky they were to find something and someone to replace what they’d lost.
He looked at Jimmy, waiting patiently for his answer. “Ya know, I think if ya told her that she won’t mind at all.”
Jimmy smiled, and Logan cuffed him affectionately on the shoulder before he was pulled back to his own maudlin thoughts about his earlier conversation with Ororo.
They had never talked about the future, never really discussed just where their relationship was going. He had never felt the need, simply living in the moment with her and relishing in the love he felt for her. But somewhere, deep in his heart, he knew that someday it wouldn’t be enough for her. No matter what she said.
What would happen when that time came? What would she do if he never reached a point where he was ready to show his commitment to her? Would she leave him, walk away from what they had simply because he never thought beyond the present? The thought hit him with all the force of a runaway train. He felt it punch him in the gut, hard and low; felt his knees weakening at the thought of losing her simply because he couldn’t give her what she might need.
The night he told her he loved her, he told her that he lost himself in her, every time they touched, every time they made love. It was a sentiment that was as true then as now. If the time ever came, could he simply let her walk away from what they had? Could he stand by while she found someone else and built a new life, apart from him? Were the memories they’d made in such a short time enough for him to live with the knowledge that she was someone else’s?
He shook his head, knowing very well that she was his. There was no one else in the world for him and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, proving that. Forge coming back had scared him. At first because he feared that Ororo might still feel something for her first love. Then, as time went on, he became afraid that Ororo would start to hope for something he wasn’t ready to give her. Forge coming back had pushed him into a corner. But it made him see what he really wanted: he wanted to marry her.
He took a deep breath, releasing it in a rush as he felt an unknown wave of tension simply drain from his body. He reached and gave Jimmy a friendly cuff on the back. “Thanks kid, ya just really helped me out.”
Jimmy nodded dumbly, a puzzled look on his face just as Scott came bustling into the kitchen, a look of worry etched on his face.
When his eyes fell on Logan, a relieved look flowed over his face.
Logan’s soda froze halfway to his mouth as Scott strode over to the table. “Jesus Scooter, what’s Jeanie sendin’ ya out fer this time, pickles and salami?”
“No, smart ass. I’ve got a problem and this time it’s not with Jean.”
Logan stood. “So what’s got yer panties so twisted?”
“Forge just called me. Seems he’s down at the pub and he’s drunk off his ass. He needs someone to come down and get him.”
Logan snorted, finishing his soda. “Have fun goin’ ta get the tin man.”
Scott leaned on the table, his jaw clenched. “Look, I need you to come with me. I might need a hand with him. He doesn’t drink often, but when he does, he gets kind of nasty. I don’t want him causing trouble downtown.”
Logan sighed. “Fine. I’ll go hold yer hand. But if he takes a swing at me, just one, I’m gonna take him down.”
Scott stood up. “Don’t worry, if he takes a swing at you, I’ll take him down myself.” He walked out to the garage.
They found the bar rather quickly and parked illegally nearby. They hurried towards the door, the loud music nearly blocking out the sounds of someone talking or shouting rather, just inside the door.
Logan pushed open the door and bit back a grimace as the smells and sounds from the place hit him like a jackhammer. He walked further into the building his ears detecting the sounds of a loud and intense argument even over the blaring jukebox in the corner. He headed towards the voices, a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach that Forge was in the middle of it.
Forge was at the center of the crowd, egging on a bunch of younger, only slightly drunk college students. Scott stepped forward, intent on stepping in and ending it but Logan stopped him.
“Let him go One Eye. We can grab him when he finishes this. He ain’t in trouble yet.”
Scott nodded and they sat at the end of the bar to wait.
One of the college students laughed at something Forge said. “You’re drunk man. There ain’t no way you can do it.”
Forge snorted. “Fifty bucks says I can. Anyone want to try me?” His words were loud, but clear; he did not sound drunk.
The first one who’d spoken nodded his head. “Fine, but you take a shot of whiskey before each shot, wise ass.”
Forge nodded. “Deal. Bartender, I need three shots of whisky.” The bartender slapped them down after a few minutes and Forge stepped up.
Gulping his first shot of whiskey and slamming the glass back down on the bar. He turned, taking his dart in hand and sited along it carefully. He threw it and scored a perfect bullseye. The second shot followed as did the second dart. A second bullseye.
The third shot downed, Forge turned his attention to once again to aiming the final dart. He released it and the sound of it hitting the board could be heard through out the strangely silent bar.
One of the college kids stepped up to the board and turned smirking. “You lose, old man, cough up the dough.”
Forge was livid. He reached out, wrapping his hands in the younger man’s shirt. “Old man? Ya little piss ant, who do you think yer talkin’ to?”
Logan swore softly as he and Scott jumped up from their seats and pushed their way through the crowd.
Scott reached the other man first. “It’s about damned time we found you Forge. It’s time to go home.” He pulled Forge away from the young man.
The college student who’d made the bet stepped in Scott’s path. “Hey, this jackass owes us fifty bucks. You ain’t leavin’ here until he pays up.”
Clearly annoyed, Scott grabbed Forge’s wallet out of his jacket pocket. He opened it, and threw the cash at the young man. He started dragging Forge away.
Forge struggled, shouting. “Get yer damn hands off me. I can’t believe you paid those punks. They cheated.” He stumbled just as Scott reached Logan. He looked up at Logan and reached out to steady himself against the bar. “Damn, I need another drink.
“Forge, you’ve had enough. Let’s go back to the mansion before you piss these people off some more.” Scott shoved him towards Logan and turned back to the bar. “Get him out of here Logan, I’ll settle his tab.”
Logan scowled, growling low in his throat as he grabbed Forge’s arm. “Fine. But ya owe me one Cyke. I don’t want ta be savin’ his sorry ass.” He started leading Forge to the door. “Come on Forge.”
Forge noticed Logan for the first time and jerked free. “Logan, get yer damned hands off me.”
Logan snarled, grabbing the man again. “Don’t make me get rough Forge, cause right now, I’d enjoy it too much.”
Forge’s struggles increased. “I said get yer damned hands off me.” He threw Logan off and with surprising speed for a drunk, punched Logan hard in the testicles.
Instantly enraged, Logan reacted without thinking, slamming Forge against the wall. He pinned the taller man there, unsheathing his claws and pressed them against Forge’s neck. He held him there, panting as he fought against the red haze that colored his vision.
He could the beast inside of him surging against his control. Searching for weak spots, trying to take control so it could maim, kill and destroy. It screamed for Forge’s blood, his body cooling at Logan’s feet. But Logan fought it, and managed somehow, to grab hold of it and keep it from taking control.
The bar was still silent, everyone watching the show. “Fuckin’ muties.” Came from a Mumbled voice near the bar.
Forge stared at Logan, laughing drunkenly as he was held against the wall. “You think yer such hot shit, don’t ya? Well come on, do it. Kill me, right now in front of all these witnesses. Go on, slit my throat, ya know ya wanna. That’s all yer good at anyway so why not just add one more corpse to the body count, huh?”
Logan stood there, his jaw clenched tight, his arm locked against Forges throat. He kept pushing against the beast, his anger and rage fueling it as it fought him. But slowly, Logan managed to make ground and push it down, forcing it to calm, to sleep once more.
Forge either ignorant of the mental battle Logan was facing, or simply uncaring continued to taunt him “What’s a matter, think yer too good now, just cause yer sleeping with her. Well I got news for ya pal, ya ain’t good enough for her. Ya ain’t nothin’ but an animal, a killer. And I think they should have put ya down when they had the chance.” His eyes were crazed as he threw the words at the smaller man.
Behind them Logan could sense the agitation of the slightly drunken crowd and it was rising. Cursing softly to himself he tried to calm the other man down before his heated words caused some idiot to get brave and start a fight.
He sheathed his claws and stepped away from the wall. “Shut up Forge, before I make ya sorrier than when Storm fried yer ass this afternoon.” He released the other man, keeping a firm grip on his arm. Dragging him towards the door.
Forge snorted. “I knew it, yer a damned coward. Ya ain’t got the guts.”
Logan, still pissed and tired of listening to Forge, turned and slugged him, knocking him out. He watched, perversely pleased as he fell in a boneless heap at his feet. He looked at the others in the crowd as Scott wandered up, the tab settled.
He nudged Forge with his foot. “Fuckin’ jackass.”
Scott sighed as he looked at Forge’s still form. “I know you can’t stand him Logan, but did you really have to hit him, now we have to carry his sorry ass back to the car.”
“He punched me in the nuts Scooter, ya’d a decked him to.” They both reached down, taking an arm and dragging him from the room. “Hey, we could just leave his ass here and let ‘em have him.”
“Charles would never forgive us. And Jean would tan my hide later.”
Logan gave a short bark of laughter as they reached the door. “Yer so damned whipped Scooter.”
Scott snorted as they left the bar and made their way to the car. “Like you’ve got room to talk Mr. Munroe.”
“Can it One Eye.” Logan growled at him.
They got Forge back to the mansion without further incident or further comment. Scott called ahead and Hank was waiting in the garage for their arrival. Hank took Forge, ignominiously over his shoulder and took him down to the med lab to sleep it off. Scott and Logan then wandered off to bed themselves.
The next day, the revelation of the night before still fresh and strong in his mind, Logan escaped the mansion and walked into the same jewelry store where he’d purchased Ororo’s earrings and Scott had purchased Jean’s ring.
Jean-Pierre was there and greeted him warmly. “Ah, mosiuer Logan. Eeett ezz so nice to see you. ‘ow may I ‘elp you today?”
Logan shook the jewelers hand and looked down into the case right in front of him. “I need a ring, Jean-Pierre. A very special ring.”
A slight glitter shown in Jean-Pierre’s eyes. “Ezz zis for someone special? Madam Ororo per’aps?”
Logan nodded. “I wanna ask her ta marry me.”
Jean-Pierre nodded once, suddenly all business and very serious. “Zen eet must be somezhing spectacular, no?”
Again Logan nodded. “Yeah.” He felt a fluttering of anticipation hit him low in the gut as the truth of what he was about to do hit him.
“Zen let us begin.”
In the end, after much good natured arguing, Logan settled on a platinum band with a setting for a single diamond. Logan had learned his lesson well at Christmas; gold just did not suit Ororo. But when it came to the stone, he was still learning.
The Frenchman acted as if Logan was threatening the life of his firstborn at the mere suggestion of a simple diamond. And he proceeded to harangue Logan for not making the ring unique enough for the woman he loved.
“No, no, no, eet simply will not do mousier Logan. A diamond ezz ordinary, a diamond ezz cliché. It ezz not special enough for madam Ororo.” He waved his hands to indicate several nearby cases, all full of jewelry and all of them using diamonds.
Logan scowled slightly. “Look, I thought women liked diamonds. They’re forever; ain’t that the reason they use them fer the rings in the first place?” He thought that there were other things that made the ring important, sentimentality, design.
Jean-Pierre nodded. “Zat eez so mousier. But zen again, roses are ze symbols of romance. Does zat mean zat all women love zhem? Does madam Ororo love zhem?”
Logan’s scowl deepened. “No, her favorite flowers are orchids.”
She enjoyed roses, even grew them around the mansion. But that was more because the professor and Jean enjoyed them. Not to mention that they were so much more suited to the climate than her own far more particular orchids.
“Ah, zhere you see? Not all women like zee same s’ings. Some women like roses, some women like orchids. Why zhen should all women love diamonds?”
Logan waved his hands in the air, giving up. “I get it. So what do ya suggest?”
He waved Logan closer as if he were about to impart some vital secret. “I ‘ave ‘ere in zis shop, a very beautiful, very rare blue diamond. I s’ink eet would be perfect.”
Logan couldn’t hide his confusion. “But ya just said no to a diamond.”
Jean-Pierre shook his head. “But zis eez not ze same s’ing. Eet eez a blue diamond. Eet ‘as color, eet eez unique and most important of all, eet eez still forever.”
Logan understood, resisting the urge to chuckle at the urgent and passionate words. “Sounds perfect. Let’s see it”
Jean-Pierre retrieved it, setting the box down in front of Logan.
Logan opened it and looked in awe at the deep blue stone that twinkled out at him. Jean-Pierre was right, this stone was perfect for her. It was radiant and held a deep such a deep sparkle of light. It reminded him of her and the inner beauty of her soul and it took his breath away.
He nodded once. “I’ll take it.”
Jean-Pierre smiled warmly. “Ah, good. You can pick eet up in sree days.” He began writing out the slip.
“I’ll be here.” He took his copy with a slightly trembling hand and left the store.
Unbeknownst to Logan, he was being followed and had been all morning. Forge watched with hooded eyes and a stony expression as Logan left the jewelry store. He kept well away from the store afraid of being spotted. And he didn’t even twitch a muscle until Logan was headed towards the entrance of the mall. Once he was sure that Logan wouldn’t hear or see him, he pulled a cell phone from his pocket and dialed a number.
“Yeah?” A gravelly voice answered.
Forge began walking through the mall. “There’s been a change in plans. Meet me at the bar in twenty minutes.”
There was a pained sigh from the other end. “Dammit Forge, I’m in the middle of something here.”
Forge stopped walking, his voice tense and angry. “I don’t care if you’re knee deep in shit with trouble up to your eyebrows. Get here, now. We’ve got a situation.”
There was a long pause from the other end of the line. “You better make this damn worth my while. I’ve got other clients you know.”
Forge snorted. “Yeah, but can any of your other clients guarantee to keep your ass out of jail?” There was silence on the other end. “I didn’t think so. You’ve got twenty minutes, be there, or I start making phone calls to interested parties.”
“Fine, I’ll be there.” The phone abruptly disconnected as the other person hung up.
He snapped the phone shut with a harsh gesture as he walked towards the other end of the mall.
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