This is a companion piece to "Empty". It is recommended that you read that fic before you read this one. Please review! (Flames welcome, they only make me stronger!!!)


I own nothing. All characters mentioned herein, belong to Marvel, and Marvel alone.









“Mariah.”

“Stone?”

“No. How about Jada?”

“Nah. Thor?”

Silence. “You’re joking, right?”

Logan chuckled, chewing thoughtfully on his cigar, unlit out of courtesy. “What’s wrong with Thor? It’s a good, strong name.”

“No.”

“Oh, come on, darlin’. We agreed that I could name our son.”

“Yes, Logan, we did, but I get final say. I do not want a son named Thor.”

“So, does that mean I get final say about our daughter’s name?”

“No.”

“That ain’t right, ‘Ro.”

“No it isn’t. But it also isn’t right that I have to carry our child for nine months. Not to mention morning sickness, swollen ankles, back pain, LABOR”“

“Okay, okay, I get it. Damn, I knew it was a bad idea to get you those flamin’ books.”

Ororo laughed lightly and wrapped her arms tightly about him. “We could always name our son after his father. Will that make you happy?”

“I guess that’ll work.”

“Good. Remy Etienne LeBeau. Junior, of course.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s a good, strong name.” She smiled coyly at him. The smile died when she noticed the sinister gleam in his eyes. “Logan, it was just a joke. Oh, goddess, Logan , please don”“

Her plea was cut short when he lunged for her, knocking her backwards onto the bed. She thrashed around, trying in vain to escape him. Tears streaming down her face, she begged him to stop. “Logan…please…stop…” she cried as she tried to pull herself into a tight ball.

“Take it back.”

“O-okay, I t-take it back. Just please, stop tickling me.”

Logan nodded, satisfied, kissed her softly on the forehead. “Next time I won’t be so nice.”

“You call that nice?” Ororo mumbled.

Logan just chuckled and nuzzled the side of her face. “I love ya, darlin’. You know that right?”

“That’s because I’m the only one that’ll put up with you.”

“You know it.”

“I love you , too.”

X-Men, report to the War Room.

Logan groaned at Charles’ interruption, but made no attempt to move.

“Logan, we have to go.”

“No can do, darlin’. You’re stayin’ right here.”

“Logan, please do not start this again.”

“As long as you’re carryin’ my kid, you don’t go on any missions.”

“Logan, I’m going, regardless of what you have to say about it.”

“Ro”“

“Look, Logan, I love you for being concerned, but I am more than capable of taking care of myself. I’ll be fine.”

“Fine,” he grumbled, allowing her to get up. “Promise me that you’ll be safe.”

“We’ll be fine.”

“Promise me, ‘Ro.”

“I promise,” she smiled, before heading out the door.



____________________

She lied.

Ororo promised me she'd be safe. She promised our kid would be safe. She lied.

But then, I guess I can't put all the blame on her, can I?

Don't ask me why I ran to Jeannie's side. To this day I can't figure that one out. Or, why I didn't notice when Sabertooth disappeared from the fight. Why 'Ro didn't fight him, or at least call out to one of us. Hell, I've asked myself a ton of questions. Thousands of whys and what-ifs. You think I came up with one flamin' answer? Yeah. Right.

I just remember the faint smell of blood. The sight of my wife laying on the ground, and that monster standing over her, smiling at me. He raised his hand to his mouth and licked the blood from his fingers. 'Ro's blood, our baby's blood, on his hands, sliding down his throat. I wanted to kill him, gut him like the animal he was, but the sight of my wife lying there, unconscious, stopped me cold..

I ran to Ororo, scooped her up in my arms and went back to the 'Bird. The others were still dukin' it out with Mystique and Magneto, but I couldn't bring myself to give a shit. My wife was dyin', my kid was probably already dead. I made a vow to myself that I would find that son-of-a-bitch and take him out, one way or another.

I know I shoulda probably stayed with 'Ro when we got back to the mansion. Guess that was my second fuck-up, leaving her in the MedLab alone. But I had to find Sabertooth. I owed him. I owed him big. So I had Jeannie find him, and I left. Tracked him down to Alberta. When I got there, it was almost like that son-of-a-bitch was waitin' for me.

"Tell me, runt, did you like my little gift?"

It was the smirk that did it. That fucking smug ass grin that finally cut the last little tie to my sanity. I lost it. I charged him, claws flying, not really giving a shit where my blows landed. I just wanted to rip those lips from his face. Fuck that, I wanted to rip his head from his body. So I did.

When I finally regained my tenuous grip on reality, I was holding the bastard's head in my hands. Now, we were even.

Chuck was waiting for me when I got back to the mansion. He was sitting on the porch, staring out at the grounds, looking like he had just lost his best friend. I really couldn't bring myself to care that much about him or his guilt. It was his damn fault in the first place. If he had never sent us on that mission...who knows. Fair? Hell no, but I coulda cared less.

I had no intention of acknowledging him, and walked right past him, on my way to the MedLab. On my way to tell 'Ro that Sabertooth was gone for good. Who would have guessed that two words could rip my heart from my chest?

"Ororo's gone."

I wanted to kill him. I almost did, but something stopped me. I just turned and looked at him like all the shit he used to shine his head had finally gotten to him.

"She left, Logan. I don't think she's coming back," with that he rolled away.

She left. She just left me.

I shoulda been there when she woke up. Mine should have been the first face she saw when she opened those beautiful baby blues, instead I was off chasin that murdering piece of shit. I shoulda been there, then maybe she wouldn't have left. Maybe we both would have left, together.

I love my wife. I love my wife with every fiber of my being. If she were to come home tomorrow, I would take her in my arms and never let her go. Nothing would ever touch her. Nothing would ever hurt her.

Today? Today I fucking hate her.

Damn.





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