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Title:
Alter-Eighteen: Seven Conversations
Author:
Terri
E-mail:
xgrrl26@yahoo.com
Rating:
PG-13
Disclaimer:
I don't own either of them. Darn.
Archive:
WRFA, Mutual Admiration, Peep Hut, everyone else please ask, and I'll gladly
say yes.
Feedback:
Please? With a cherry on top? Good, bad, and ugly welcome..
Summary:
Alternative version of events in the movie and eighteen series. Logan
and Rogue take some big relationship steps in seven conversations.
Comments:
This is from another Keli-tossed plot bunny. She liked the dialogue
fics (can't be because they're less work to beta, hmm?) and asked for one
that included a drunken Logan. Well, that I couldn't resist.
This is also in part from a Lateo plot bunny, asking for a fic where Jubes
and Kitty kind of think Rogue's a badass and are a little scared of her.
Didn't really get into detail about that here, but I like that sharp-toothed
little sucker and it may show up again in more detail in another fic.
Lastly, I'd like to point out that I consider myself to have a fair alcohol
tolerance, but it only takes about three shots of Jagermeister to knock me
on my butt. I thought about twelve bottles for Logan would be about
right.
---------------------------------------------------------
"Hello?
Logan?"
"Yeah, kid,
that you?"
"Yeah, Jubilee-Jubilee
said you called. Sorry. Ran to the phone. Still catching
my breath."
"How are
ya?"
"OK.
I'm doing OK. How are you?"
"How're
the geeks treatin' ya?"
"OK.
I think-Dr. Grey's been a little weird, but I think that's just because I
slapped her on the butt that one time. You kind of came out.
And my roommates-well they're a little weird about the skin thing.
I think it freaks them out. That, and, uh, the occasional growl that
comes out. Between the deadly skin and, you know, voices in my head,
I don't blame them for thinking I'm a little scary."
"Hmph."
"But-enough
about me-how are you?"
"I'm OK.
Made it to Canada. Got a ways to go to Alkali Lake, though. Wanted
to check up on ya."
"I'm really
glad you called. It's-it's really good to know you're OK."
"Yeah.
Listen, I gotta go. You-you don't worry about what the geeks think,
OK? Just ignore 'em."
"OK.
Logan?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you
going to call again?"
"Uh."
"It's just
that-I, ah, really don't know anyone here that well, and it's nice to hear
a friendly voice every now and then. It-it doesn't have to be often
or anything, but every once in a while would be nice. If you want.
If you wouldn't mind."
"Nah, I
don't mind. I'll call again, OK? You just-you just take care
of yourself, OK, kid?"
"You too.
Be careful."
"Yeah.
Gotta go."
"OK.
Thanks-thanks for calling. I'm glad you did."
"Yeah."
"Bye."
"Bye."
"Logan?"
"Yeah, kid."
"I'm so
glad you called. How are you doing?"
"Fine.
Got to Alkali Lake, stayin' at a place a coupla hours out. Gonna go
up tomorrow."
"Oh."
"Yeah.
You OK?"
"Yeah.
I'm hanging in there."
"You sound
sad or somethin'."
"It's just-remember
my roommates, Jubilee and Kitty?"
"Yeah."
"They've
been a little hard to take lately. Not-not that they're mean or anything,
but they act like they're scared of me no matter what I do. I mean,
even when I'm completely covered head to toe, they back up to the wall to
avoid me. It's-it's not easy for them, getting me as a roommate, I
know, but still.."
"There's
nothin' you can do 'bout it if they act that way. Just ignore it."
"I'm-I guess
I just don't want them to hate me or anything, you know? It would be
nice to have a friend or two."
"Ya got
me."
"Yeah, and
I'm really glad, but, you know, you can never have too many friends, right?"
".."
"Logan?"
"Sorry.
Look, I should go."
"No-uh, not
yet, OK? Just-just talk to me a little bit more. Are you-are
you feeling OK about heading up there tomorrow? Is there anything you
want to talk about?"
"Nah, not
really. Just-dunno what I'm gonna find, ya know? Dunno if there's
even anythin' there."
"You know
that, no matter what you find, you still, uh, have me, right? I mean,
we're, like, bonded, and that's how it is, no matter what."
"Right."
"So don't
worry. If-if there's nothing there, you'll keep looking, and if there
is something, I know you can deal with it. I'm not worried."
"Good.
Me-me neither. I'm not worried."
"Good.
Is it-is it cold up there?"
"A little.
Not snowin' no more, but chilly. Get a frost at night."
"Hmmm.
It's getting warmer here. Spring's coming, you can tell. I'm-I'm
doing OK in school. Do you want to know my grades?"
"Sure."
"I got three
B's and two C's, which is really good for me. Especially that C in
physics. I'm amazed I didn't fail that one."
"That's
good, kid."
"Thanks.
I'll be glad when school's over, though, and I can get out of here."
"Where're
you thinkin' about goin'?"
"I don't
know, but I don't think-I don't really fit in here."
"Shit."
"No, no,
it's not your fault or anything. It's not your fault that we ended
up here. And-well, there are a lot worse things that could've happened.
I just-when school's over, I'll have a diploma and I'll already be eighteen,
and an adult, and I can be on my own. I'd just rather do that, I think."
"You're
not on your own, kid. I promised to look out for ya."
"I know.
And I know you will. But I-I want to be able to take care of myself
too. And if you're not back by then, I'll have to-"
"I'll be
back by then. When-when is it? When're you done?"
"Memorial
Day Weekend-oh, wait-I keep forgetting you're Canadian. Last weekend
of May."
"That's
what? About three months."
"Right."
"I'll be
back by then."
"You don't
have to be. Not if, you know, you need to be doing something else.
It's not like-it's not like I don't want you to come back, you know, as soon
as possible. I miss you a lot. But I know you need to get some
stuff done and find some things out."
"Yeah."
"So, do-do
your thing and I'll keep you posted. Just in case you're not back by
May, I'll-"
"I'll be
back by then, maybe sooner. Dunno-I just dunno what I'm gonna run into
up here. Depends."
"Be careful.
And-and let me know. Let me know what you find out, whatever
it is, I'd want to know, OK?"
".."
"I mean,
you don't-you don't have to tell me the details or anything, not if you don't
want to, but I just want to know you're OK, you know, and whether-whether
you're still looking or not. Is that OK?"
"Yeah."
"Good."
"Can I ask
you somethin'?"
"Sure."
"Why'd you-no,
never mind."
"No, ask
it."
"It's- "
"Just ask."
"Why'd you
hop in with me in the first place, Marie? You saw me pull the claws
out on that guy and shit. What made you hop in with me?"
"Instinct.
I had a feeling that I could trust you and that maybe you'd help me."
"What the
hell woulda given you that feelin'?"
"I don't
know how to really explain it. I just saw-I just saw something in you
that I recognized and that I liked. I don't know. It was just
something about you that seemed right. If I learned anything hitchhiking
across two countries and living on the road eight months, it was to trust
my own instincts. You were the first person I thought I might be able
to trust, so I knew I had to give it a shot. You-you just fit with
me."
"Hmph."
"Not the
answer you wanted?"
"Not the
one I expected."
"What did
you think made me do it?"
"Desperation,
outta options, I dunno. I thought-I thought you kinda wanted to stay
at the school, Marie. I didn't know you didn't like it there, that
you'd wanna leave after a coupla weeks."
"Did we
just change subjects?"
"Kinda.
But say somethin'."
"I didn't
know I wouldn't like it here that much either. I guess I got spoiled
with you and my head got a little turned by having a bed and free meals and
everything."
"What?"
"What?"
"What you
said didn't make no sense to me."
"Oh.
I mean, I got spoiled with you-you saved my life twice after we got there,
three times if you count picking me up, and you were always looking out for
me. I guess I didn't realize it wouldn't be like that with everybody
else. They just-they just kind of ignore me unless I'm causing a problem
and treat me like just, you know, another mutie kid. Which I am, but
I guess-it sounds a little stupid or selfish but I guess I got really used
to feeling like I was important or special or something. You know,
'cause of the life-savage and all. I thought it would be that way here,
but here I'm just 'weird Rogue' with the deadly skin and all the people living
in her head."
"Shit."
"No, no,
I don't mean to be all 'poor me.' It's really OK. It's a little
weird to be, you know, a freak among mutants, but hey, on the other hand,
I can't really blame them. I'm not like them. I can't control
my mutation, and on top of it, I've got someone they see as a mortal enemy
and someone that's a semi-unknown rattling around in my head. I suppose
the fact that I growl or know how to play chess really, really well all of
a sudden would be fairly freaksome for most people. It's still a little
freaky for me."
"Bad freaky?"
"Not really,
just freaky freaky. I'm getting adjusted."
"Sorry about-you
know, bein' up in there."
"It's really,
really OK. And also not your fault."
"What about
the second part you said-head turned?"
"Oh, all
I meant was that this place makes a kick-ass first impression, you know?
Free school, free room and board, really spiffy mansion, superhero teachers,
spacious grounds, basically all the comforts and then some. I guess
after being on the road eight months I was so happy to have some of those
things that I didn't stop to think if I liked the rest of the package."
"And you
don't?"
"Not really,
no. I'm just not-I had options before, you know. I didn't have
to go on the road. I could've lived with my born-again aunt and her
drunk husband, or I could've gone to social services and asked for a foster
home. I didn't want to do those things for a reason. I guess-I
guess I'm just not good at following rules and trying to be normal and not,
you know, living my life and doing what I want to do. I don't want
to be, you know, someone who goes in front of congress or who is a superhero.
I just want to live my life and do my own thing. Plus, I do have to
say, you're not helping with the whole following the rules thing."
"Sorry,
kid."
"It's OK,
it was there before you anyway."
"So, you're
not gonna stay after school, which is end of May."
"Right."
"So I'll
be back before then, and we'll talk about it, OK?"
"OK."
"Until then,
just-just hang out a while, all right? I gotta go look at Alkali Lake
and see what I'm gonna need to do there."
"OK.
But-you'll call after, right?"
"Yeah."
"Promise?"
""
"Logan,
please."
"OK."
"Say it."
"I promise.
Ya know, you are pretty demandin'."
"I know.
Really, after triple lifesavage, I probably shouldn't ever ask you for another
damn thing. I kind of can't help it though."
"I was teasin',
kid. I don't mind, OK?"
"Well, good,
because I really don't think I *can* help it. I'm just that way with
you."
"Yeah, and
I am too. Listen, I should go."
"Yeah, this
is probably costing you a fortune. Sorry."
"Don't worry.
Hang in there. I'll call after."
"You'd better.
You promised."
"There ya
go with the demandin' again."
"Yeah, yeah."
"Good night,
kid."
"Be careful.
I miss you and I'm glad you called. Good night."
"Logan!
Are you OK? Because if you are, I'm going to kill you! What took
you so long to call?"
"Sorry.
Lost track of time a little."
"Oh, God,
you found something, didn't you?"
"Yeah, but
not much. Well-enough. Enough to get the gist of it."
"So?"
"You said
I didn't have to tell ya the details, and I ain't gonna."
"Are you
OK?"
"Yeah."
"Logan.."
"I'm fine,
kid, really."
"Can I-is
it OK for me to ask what you've been doing for the past month? I was
a little worried."
"Drivin'
around. Fightin'. Thinkin'."
"OK"
"Look, Marie,
it's not-there's nothin' good to say, all right? I been makin' money
and that's just about the only good thing. I didn't wanna call 'cause
I've been all pissed-off."
"About what
you found? You could've called anyway. I know how you are when
you're pissed-off. I have you in my head, remember?"
"Yeah."
"Logan,
don't-don't get upset about that."
"I just-ya
know, even when I do somethin' right, I manage to throw a fuck-up in there
somehow."
"Hey, that's
not true."
"Nah.
It is. You just-"
"Please
don't tell me you're about to say I don't really know you. Think about
that one for a minute. I do."
"Marie,
everythin's.."
"Tell me.
You can tell me."
"Everythin's
fucked up, OK? I shouldnta called."
"But I'm
so glad you did. I really miss you. And I want to hear it-whatever
it is, just-you can get it out of your system, OK? There's nothing
you can't tell me."
"I don't
wanna tell ya. You'll-I just wanna make money and go back and get ya
in May, OK? I don't wanna tell ya, ever."
"OK.
OK."
"I'm almost
done with this bottle. I gotta go."
"Hey, just-just
talk to me a little more, OK? It's been a really long time. Just
a little more, please?"
"I'm not
even thinkin' right, Marie, I've been drinkin'."
"I bet it'd
take a lot to get you drunk."
"Yep.
Twelve bottles of Jagermeister. I gotta down another 'cause I can feel
it wearin' off."
"Are you
in a bar?"
"Nah.
Motel."
"Whew.
I was going to say, I bet the bartender thinks you're insane."
"Nah.
Just cleaned out the local liquor store. No fight tonight. Got
two more bottles."
"It's just
so wrong that you're not even going to be hung over in the morning, you know
that?"
"All part
of my mutation, darlin'."
"Now I know
you're drunk for sure. You never call me darling."
"Yeah, I
do. In my head, you just don't hear it when I think it."
"You started
that thirteenth bottle, huh?"
"Yeah.
Look-May. When I come in May. You're-you're leavin' the school
anyhow, right?"
"Uh-huh."
"So there
ya go. Might as well leave with me 'cause at least I can look out for
ya some."
"Sounds
like a good plan."
"Oh yeah,
I got a whole plan already. Fight. Get money. Buy another
camper so, you know, we got a place to live. Go get ya. Tell
Chuck we're just goin' on a vacation or somethin' but I'm not plannin' on
bringin' ya back. Gonna just hang on to ya."
"Sounds
like you've given this a lot of thought. But the Professor doesn't
really have a say so since I'm eighteen now."
"Shit!"
"What?"
"I missed
your birthday!"
"It's OK.
I don't think I ever told you exactly when it was."
"Shoulda
known. 'Cause there's just some things I know about ya. Like
you like M&Ms. Like you like foosball. I knew ya would."
"Slow up
on that Jagermeister."
"Shoulda
figured somethin'-hey-did you have a good birthday?"
"It was
fine."
"But not
good."
"It was
OK. The school gives everyone a cake on their birthday, so I had cake.
And the Professor gave me cash for a present, which is always good."
"You sound
like it sucked anyway."
"Well, next
birthday will be better. I'll be with you for it."
"Yeah.
Hey-you wanna do that, right?"
"What?"
"What I
said, leave and go with me."
"Of course
I do. I'm glad you don't mind having me with you."
"Mind?
Why the hell would I mind?"
"I've been
a lot of trouble, you know, historically."
"Nah.
Worth it."
"That's-that's
really a sweet thing to say."
"Aw, shit,
are you cryin'?"
"A little.
But, uh, happy tears."
"Whatever
I said wrong, I take it back, OK? I dunno "
"No, no,
you didn't say anything wrong. What you said was really nice.
I'm just a little emotional, you know, because I'm so glad you called and
so relieved you're OK. And-and that you'd like to have me with you
for a while. I'm glad about that."
"I shouldn't.
I mean, I know that. I probably shouldn't. But I wanna."
"What?
Take me with you?"
"Yeah.
Sorry. Just-sorry, OK?"
"For what?"
"For that.
Should-should probably just let you go, let you live your life."
"Uh, but
I'd rather do that with you than, you know, separately."
"It ain't
right."
"What isn't?"
"Takin' you
with me, some of the things I've been thinkin'. It ain't right, I know
that. I'm not-I'm not some kinda dumb animal, not like they say, I
know that."
"Nothing's
wrong, everything's OK. Taking me with you is OK."
"Not really
it ain't 'cause I'm doin' it 'cause I wanna. Ain't best for you."
"Logan, I
realize it's kind of pointless to argue with you while you're, uh, inebriated,
but if I think about my life so far, it's been highly beneficial for me to
have you in it."
"Marie,
if I asked ya to do somethin' for me, would ya do it?"
"Of course.
What do you want me to do?"
"You gotta
promise me somethin'. You gotta promise me that you're not gonna stick
with me too long, OK? Just-just for a little while. Just 'cause
I wanna don't make it OK. I know I can't hang onta you a lot, but just
for a little while won't hurt ya too much, right? I just wanna have
a little bit of good and you're good. Just for a little while, then.
Promise."
"Oh, Logan.."
"Dammit,
you're cryin' more."
"Sorry.
Sorry. But I can't really promise that. I don't want it to be
just a little while."
"It hasta.
I shouldn't even do that, but-"
"We should
be together. That's how it should be. There's not a single thing
wrong about it. Not one. I know-Logan, I know some of the things
you think about me that you might think are wrong, but it's OK. They're
OK. They're not wrong."
"They are,
Marie, they are."
"I'm not
a child and I don't "
"It ain't
'cause of that, darlin'. It ain't 'cause of that. I don't give
a shit about that. It's wrong 'cause you're *so* good and *so* good
and-wait, I said that. I mean, you're *good,* like bright and perfect
and, you know, *good.* Not-you're not-you're *good.*"
"You're
not so bad yourself."
"That's-that's
where you're wrong. You don't-"
"I don't
care what it is you found. You-you listen to me. I don't care
what it is you found, but I know who you are, deep down. I know who
you really are, so you can't tell me you're not good. Who-Logan, who
does what you did for me?"
"Hadta.
Hadta do it. Just hadta."
"Exactly
my point. Good people do those kinds of things. Really good people.
Excellent people. Superb people."
"You're
good people."
"And so
are you."
"Hmph."
"Tell me
more. Tell me more about what we'll do after you come get me in May."
"Hang on.
Gonna get the last bottle. Hang on."
"Logan?"
"Yeah. Sorry.
What?"
"Tell me
what you'd like to do when you come get me in May."
"Oh, yeah.
Well, I was thinkin' drivin'. We'd drive a lot 'cause we both like
that, right?"
"Right."
"I'll fight
to make us money and shit. You don't hafta fight. I'll do the
fightin'."
"Oh, good."
"Yeah.
And I was thinkin' we'd drive."
"Lots of
driving. OK, that sounds good."
"Yeah.
I like drivin' with you and if that damn asshole hadnta knocked a tree over
on us, I'd still be drivin' with ya and I wouldn't know anythin' about no
assassinations and chips in my fuckin' head and murders."
"Logan?"
"Huh?"
"Is that
what you found at Alkali Lake?"
"Shit."
"It's OK,
it's OK."
"Shit, I
went and toldya. Fuck!"
"It's OK,
just-just explain what you said. They put a chip in your head?"
"Fuckers.
Hate those fuckers. Wish they weren't fuckin' already dead."
"Logan,
tell me what you found. It's OK, just tell me."
"Fuckers
got me good, Marie. They-they"
"They put
a chip in your head?"
"In my brain
and I didn't wanna do that stuff, I swear I didn't. I kept diggin' it
out, ya know, through my eyeball with my claw. Guess that's what scrambled
my brains. Dug it out twelve times accordin' to the thing."
"Oh, God.."
"I didn't
mean to tell ya. I-I didn't mean to."
"It's OK.
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that's what happened. I'm so sorry."
"I-I understand.
I can-I can do somethin' else, you know. I was just hopin' that, just
for a little while it'd be like I wanted. You and me, drivin' and talkin'
and stuff. You know, just for a little while, that was all I needed.
Just to-just to know what it was. But it's OK. I understand."
"I still
want that, Logan. I still-you're still coming to get me in May and we're
going to do that, and not just for a little while, either. For-for as
long as you want."
"No, darlin',
no. I can't-I can't. I'm just-well, you know now."
"You're
amazing and beautiful and I love you and I'd never want to be without you
no matter what, OK?"
"Darlin'
Marie.."
"Logan?"
"That's just
what I was wishin' for you to say, you know, when we were together for a
little while. That's just what I was wishin' to hear."
"It's true,
all of it. I mean it, it's true."
"Thanks
for sayin' it. Now-now I have that, you know?"
"I know.
And I-I meant the other things I said. I still want to go with you
in May."
"I-I ain't
no good for ya."
"Bullshit!"
"Marie!"
"It is.
Total bullshit. I'm no good for you either, Logan. I've got lethal
skin, about a hundred bucks to my name and not a single thing in the world,
and I've almost gotten you killed, not once but twice. I could say
all the same bad things your thinking about yourself about me."
"Nuh-uh."
"Yuh-huh."
"No.
No. You're wrong. I said-weren't you listenin' before when I
said you were good?"
"Are you
listening now when I'm telling you the same thing?"
"But I-"
"Logan,
if I don't see your metal-boned ass in the mansion driveway come the end
of May, do you know what I'm going to do?"
"No."
"I'm going
to go looking for you. Don't make me do the hitchhiking across Canada
thing again. I'm not in a hurry for a repeat of that experience, but
I'll do it."
"Marie.."
"What?"
"You're
makin' it hard on me."
"Good.
I'm not about to make you leaving me easy."
"Say it
again."
"What?"
"Those things
you said before. Say 'em again, OK?"
"I love
you and you're beautiful and amazing, and I'd never, ever want to be without
you for any reason whatsoever."
"I like
that."
"Well, good,
I'm glad, because that's the way it is."
"Yeah.
You know what?"
"What?"
"I'm outta
liquor."
"Whew."
"What?"
"Nothing.
Nothing. Just-it's a little hard to carry on a conversation with you
when you're drunk."
"Hey, I
converse good this way."
"Sure.
Sure you do."
"I do.
You'll see. When I come and getcha I'll get us lotsa bottles and we'll
talk. And then you'll see. I talk good this way."
"But I won't
talk at all-I'll be unconscious long before you're even feeling it."
"Shit.
Didn't think of that. Hey-uh-hang on. I gotta take a whiz."
"Logan?Logan?"
"..SNORE."
".sigh"
"Hello?"
"Uh, Marie?
Is that you?"
"Logan,
thank God. When did you wake up?"
"Just now.
Did I, ah, call you or somethin'?"
"Yes.
Yes you did. You called me late last night when you were really drunk."
"Aw, shit."
"It's OK.
I'm just-I was just a little worried for a second there."
"Did I say
somethin', uh, weird?"
"You said
many weird things."
"Look, Marie,
I, uh, whatever I said, just ignore it, OK? I was drunk, real drunk,
and I probably didn't mean it."
"That's
too bad."
"Huh?"
"You said
some really nice things in with the somewhat weird things."
"Well, I,
uh probably meant those, but ignore everythin' else, OK?"
"You told
me what you found."
"Shit!
I was afraid of that. Fuck."
"It's OK-it's
OK. You and I-we had a long talk about it and we decided that what's
in the past is in the past. We decided that-that you did all you could-you
tried to remove the chip so many times and sacrificed your own memories to
stop them. We decided that we weren't going to dwell on it and that
we were just-when you come and get me in May, we'll just do what we planned
and hang out together for a while."
"We decided
all that, huh?"
"Yes, we
did."
"Look, Marie-"
"We've already
had this conversation. It's settled."
"How'd you
convince me of all that, hmm?"
"Well, you
were drunk. I had an advantage. Plus, I said that I really, really
wanted to be with you and that we belonged together, no matter, you know,
the various things that might be wrong with both of us. And you agreed."
"Nothin's
wrong with you, kid."
"You know,
I really liked 'darling' better."
"Shit.
What-what exactly did I say?"
"You'll
have to come and get me in a few weeks and find out, sugar."
"Marie.."
"You could
always come sooner. See my graduation and everything. I wouldn't
object to that."
"That so?"
"Mmm-hmmm."
"Hey, kid,
you get any sleep last night?"
"Not much."
"You go
on and get in bed. I'll be there in a little while."
"Promise?"
"How come
you're always gettin' me to promise things?"
"Because
you always keep your promises to me. I need a few things I can count
on."
"I promise."
"See you
soon, Logan. Be careful. I miss you and I'm glad you called."
"Why do
you always say that?"
"Because
I always miss you and I am always glad when you call. And because,
well, why not tell you so you know?"
"Yeah."
"Logan?"
"I miss
you too. See ya soon, kid."
"Darling."
"We'll see.
Get some sleep."
"Bye."
"Mmmph.
Hey!"
"Oof!
Hey, kid."
"You're
here! It's-it's only been ten days and you're here!"
"Yeah.
Didn't mean to wake ya there. Was just comin' over to - "
"You're
here!"
"You tryin'
to squeeze the life outta me?"
"No.
No I am most certainly not. I'm just so glad you're back."
"I'd have
never guessed that. Ouch!"
"You deserved
that one. When did you get here?"
"Late last
night, or, ah, early this mornin'. Whatever. Slept over there."
"You spent
the night in my desk chair?"
"Yeah."
"Wasn't
that uncomfortable?"
"Yeah."
"Wait-where's
Jubes and Kitty?"
"I, uh,
woke one of 'em up when I came in and they both kinda scooted out."
"Oh.
Well, whatever. I'm just so glad you're back."
"You gonna
hug me every time you say that?"
"Is there
a problem with that?"
"No.
No problem."
"Logan?"
"I'm-it's
good to see ya, kid."
"It's good
to see you too. Hey-did you find a camper?"
"Yeah.
Wanna see?"
"Yeah!
Just let me put some slippers on and some gloves. What-what time is
it?"
"Almost
ten. You slept in."
"You could've
woken me."
"Nah.
Come on, let's go see the camper."
"Well, that
went better than I thought."
"Really?"
"Oh, yes.
I thought Scott would actually, you know, try to shoot you with an optic
blast or something."
"Heh."
"I thought
it went fine."
"Chuck ain't
too happy 'bout it. He didn't really say nothin' but I could tell."
"Well, I
think he kind of wanted me to stick around for the graduation ceremony.
Now the whole class won't be there, you know, that kind of thing. I
don't think he really has a problem with us going."
"He don't
like me too much."
"You keep
calling him Chuck. And I keep calling him Charles because of Magneto.
He's probably not in love with either of us."
"Hmph."
"Jean looked
a little disappointed. She missed you, you know. She likes to
be flirted with. She even liked it when I'd smack her butt because
of you."
"You, uh,
feel weird about that, huh?"
"Oh no,
I don't really care if people think I'm gay or something, I-"
"No, 'bout
me and Jeannie."
"Hmm.
A little, I guess. Just because-well, I don't hold a candle to her.
I know that. I'm not beautiful, and there's the skin and all, and she's,
you know, saved your life as opposed to getting you hurt and almost killed.
It's a little intimidating."
"I didn't
come back here for Jeannie. I didn't give the tags to Jeannie."
"Yeah.
Guess not."
"You're
what I want."
"Whoa."
"What?"
"You never
say things like that-right out. Well, not sober."
"I got to
thinkin' 'bout what you said about thinkin' things and why not say 'em so
you know, that stuff."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"I know
I was a little surprised there, but I could stand a lot of that, you know."
"Don't get
too excited. That damn near killed me right there."
"Well, you
can watch, then. I won't make you help me pack."
"Whew.
Close one. Dodged a bullet there."
"Very funny."
"You know,
that truck's only got a haulin' capacity of a coupla tons. I mentioned
that, right?"
"Repeatedly."
"Hey, Marie-"
"Yeah?"
"Say somethin'.
Say somethin' you're thinkin'."
"Thank you.
You've given me so many good things in my life, right now, I'm just thinking
'thank you.'"
"Yeah?"
"Yeah.
That, and, you know, how to get you back for that hauling capacity crack.
Honestly, I don't have *that* much stuff."
"Ya know,
I *was* jokin'. You coulda taken more stuff."
"Packed everything
I own. I didn't want to take too much that was really the Professor's,
the school's, you know? I kind of wanted it to be a fresh start, a
whole new thing."
"Feels that
way to me too."
"So, where
to first? Up toward Canada, right?"
"Yeah.
Got enough money to last a while, so I thought we'd spend a coupla weeks just
campin' out. Maybe head to Banff or Jasper, show ya the Rockies. You-you
didn't get that far last time, did ya?"
"No, no
I didn't. I'd like to see them."
"You know,
I was thinkin' 'bout gettin' a place. Not now, not right away.
But down the road maybe, dependin' on how things go. I just-I don't
want ya to think I'm plannin' on havin' us livin' in the camper another fifteen
years."
"I like
the camper."
"It ain't
like you had it at Xavier's."
"It's a
lot better. No roommates, no classes, no schedule for every minute
of every day. Plus, there's you know, you. And I don't feel-I
feel a lot better. I just feel better with you."
"I got that
too, darlin'."
"Hmmm."
"What?"
"I definitely
like darling."
"Slipped
out."
"Oh."
"But if
it's, you know, what you wanna be called, I could convert to that."
"Convert
away. Logan-I need to say something, OK?"
"Sure."
"You're
beautiful. And amazing. And I love you so much. I'd never,
ever want to be without you for any reason."
"You-you-"
"You told
me when you were drunk. You told me that's just what you wanted to
hear once we were on our own."
"You didn't
hafta say it just 'cause I told ya that, I-"
"I said
it and then you told me you'd been thinking about me telling you those things.
I guessed before you told me."
"Darlin'
Marie.."
"That's
just what you said then too."
"And then
what'd you say?"
"I said
I meant them and that I felt that way a lot, for a long time."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"I-did I
tell you that I wanted to say some stuff too?"
"No-no you
didn't."
"Well, I
do. I was gonna say thank you when you said all that and then tell
ya that I was gonna try hard to be the person you wanted me to be, the person
you think of me as. I was gonna say that I was gonna take care of ya
and love ya as long as you'd have me."
"You're-you
said that all so easy. That-that didn't almost kill you at all."
"Yeah.
I mean 'em. I wanna make sure you know. If-if it's what you want.
If you wanna, you know, do this thing."
"I do."
"I do too."
"So, Banff
and Jasper. How long?"
"Oh, long
ways, darlin'. Canada's-what?"
"Slipped
out again."
"Converted,
remember?"
"Hmmm."
"I was sayin'-Canada's
a really big country. You don't realize until you gotta go across it
by land. Walkin', drivin', whatever, but when you fly over, it just
don't register. It's a lotta space."
"Good thing
we've got a lot of time to spend together."
"All the
time in the world, darlin', all the time in the world."
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