Terri's Peep Hut ~~ Fiction Archive

E-mail: xgrrl26@yahoo.com

Rating: PG-13, adult themes

Disclaimer: I don't own any of them. Darn.

Archive: WRFA, Dolphin Haven, Peep Hut - anyone else, please ask and I'll say yes ;)

Feedback: Please! Pretty please! Good, bad, and ugly welcome......

Summary: Logan screws up with an assist from Mystique; Marie takes it pretty hard and pretty personally.

Comments: One of the things I liked about MovieMarie was her spunk and self-determination. I saw her as a person who's fairly resilient and who didn't let the crap life handed her get her down. I was having a conversation with someone about that who said (to paraphrase) 'Yeah, and even if she was totally bummed out and self-pitying, Logan wouldn't take advantage of that.' That planted the question in my mind - even if Marie were pretty wimpy and a poster girl for low self-esteem, would Logan let her get away with that? This one turned out a lot less foofy than it started, but the answer to that question still lies herein ;) Also - the set-up for this one with Scott/Marie caught on tape, as it were, was the product of a great plot bunny, but I forgot who flung it - I think it was after the posting of Karen's Captive Hearts, which included a similar plot angle. Thanks to Karen for inspiring the bunny and to whoever flung it - please let me know if it was your bunny; I'm happy to provide a handsome reward paid in peeps ;) This one's dedicated to Karen and to Autumn, who've had a lot of poo flung at them lately - this fic isn't really enough to make up for that, but you've both been nothing short of wonderful to me, and I appreciate it ;)

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"So where're we goin' tonight?"

"There's a good game on TV. Want to stay in?" You know, most men would jump at the chance to plant themselves on the couch and watch a good hockey game all curled up next to their woman. Hell, I'd jump at that chance, ordinarily. But we passed ordinary a while back.

"Nah. C'mon - let's go to that new place, the one Jubilee was jabberin' 'bout. That'd be nice, huh?"

"Do you really want to go there? It's kind of formal." No, I don't really wanna go there. But I think maybe you do, darlin', and I'd do just 'bout anythin' to see you smile for a little while. Even formal dinin'.

"It'll be fine. I got nicer clothes than these. I'll go get dressed up and - "

"No. Um, I mean - I don't think I'd really like to go there. It's expensive and stuffy, and - and I'd really rather kind of stay in tonight." She gets a little shaky like this sometimes. Real nervous, watchin' how I react. I try to react good every time.

"OK. You know me - I can always go for stayin' in." Smile, Logan. Don't let her see that it's breakin' you up to hafta go through all this. It's your own damn fault, after all.

Thirty-Six Weeks Ago

"I don't wanna fuckin' hear it! Videoptape don't lie!"

"What was it, huh? Curious?"

"It wasn't me on there!"

"Yeah, right. Tell me another one, darlin'. I shoulda known somethin' was goin' on between you two - all the time you spend together, all the little looks."

"Looks? What looks? I don't look at Scott, I - "

"No? Well, I guess you just fuck him then."

"So if they win tonight, they go on to the semi-finals?"

"Mmm-hmm. Hope they do. It'd be interestin' to see 'em matched up against Detroit." She's just gettin' more and more nervous as the game goes on. She's sittin' next to me, I got my arm around her, but she's as tense as a scared cat. I dunno what to do. Did I fuck somethin' up somewhere along the way today? I can't think of anythin'. Well, nothin' beyond what I've already fucked up, which is plenty. Maybe she's just finally realizin' that, realizin' that she don't wanna be with me after all the shit I pulled, maybe -

"Can we, um, can we talk?"

Fuck. That ain't good.

Thirty-Five Weeks Ago

"I tried to convince Jean, but she won't believe me either. I just - it's so obvious that it's not us. I mean, it's not obvious - it really, really looks like us, but we wouldn't do that, we just wouldn't, and I don't know how to convince her that it's got to be some kind of - "

"Scott do you hear that?"

"That. That - that moaning."

"What? That? I think - I think it's coming from my room. Well, my former room. It sounds like Jean. I wonder if - oh, God."

"You don't think - "

"Listen - that was - that was Logan in there with her. I know his voice. That was him."

"Oh, God. They're - they're - "

"Or - or if you don't want to talk, we can, uh, not talk."

"No. No, darlin'. Go ahead, say what's on your mind." She's gonna kick my ass to the curb, I can just feel it. Look at those big eyes and how tense she is. She's gonna finally tell me that she don't wanna be with me anymore, I just know it.

"It's not easy to get out. I - I'm a little nervous." Yeah, I noticed that, baby. But it's OK. It's OK. I told myself that if this happened, if I lost her, I wouldn't make it hard on her, no matter how much it was gonna rip me up inside. I already made that mistake once. Can't do that again. Can't hurt her anymore.

"It's gonna be OK, darlin'. You just get it out. You just say whatcha hafta say. It's OK, Marie."

Thirty-Four weeks ago

"Please, Logan, please just talk to me, let me - "

"I've heard enough of your explainin', Marie. I don't wanna hear any more."

"You just went behind my back and fucked Scooter. That's all there really is to say."

"What? Don't get all upset 'bout it now, darlin'. You go off and enjoy it, huh? We'll trade, all right? I'll take Jeannie and you take Scooter. Hell, Jeannie's the one I really wanted all along. Workin' out fine by me."

"You don't mean that. Please say you don't mean that."

"Aw, c'mon, kid, you didn't mean all that 'I love you' shit, so why should I have meant it, huh? You got what you wanted and so did I."

"I've been thinking about this for a while now, and I - I've been trying to find the right time, the right way to tell you, but I - I think that there might never be the perfect time. I think that I should just tell you now."

I gotta remember to tell her some stuff too, when this is all over. Gotta remember to tell her I really did love her, that all the mean shit that I said and did wasn't how I really felt, it was just me bein' an asshole outta hurt. Gotta remember to tell her that I always will love her. You know, in case she ever changes her mind. Which she won't. Fuck. Don't blame her, really.

Thirty-Three Weeks ago

"Rogue, you have to eat. Now, come on down to dinner, OK?"

"Go away. I don't want to talk to you and I don't want to eat."

"I'm not going away. Rogue, come on. You've been in there for days. When was the last time you ate?"

"Do you remember how I said I needed to go slow and take a little time before - before we were together?"

"Uh-huh." God, look at how she blushes when she says that. So beautiful. A lot more beautiful than I deserve. But I don't get how she's gonna tell me to get lost from there - maybe she'll just say 'hey, I changed my mind, I don't wanna be together at all.' Gonna hurt like hell to hear those words.

"I know you've been - been wanting to, and I think - I think maybe we should just do it, you know, just be together tonight. If - if you want." Whoa. That wasn't what I was expectin'. Not at all. Hey - wait a minute. I get it. I get it now. I know why she's sayin' that. She saw me talkin' to Jeannie in the kitchen a few days back, I bet she did. And now she thinks - "Because I really just - I really don't want to lose you again. I don't think I could take it, OK? So let's - let's just - "

"Shhh, darlin'. It's OK. Everythin's all right. You're not gonna lose me. No way, no how. You don't hafta do anythin' you're not ready for." Can't push her, can't rush her. Gotta be sure she wantsta be with me before we do anythin'. Can't hurt her any more. I just can't. No matter how much I might wanna take her and show her how much I love her, I can't do it unless she's sure, unless she's ready. The only thing worse than the huge pile of crap I've gotten us into would be havin' her feel like I pushed her inta sex and then havin' her regret bein' with me later on. I couldn't take that.

Thirty-Two weeks ago

"Marie? I'm serious, you have to come out. I'll get Hank to undo the door hinges. I mean it. Come out. Marie?"

"But - but I am ready. I am. I really am. I - I can be ready. If you need for me to - "

"All I need is for you to take care of yourself, Marie. I wanna be sure you have what you need. That's the only thing I want." Well, it's what I want most. By far. "Don't worry 'bout me goin' anywhere or - or bein' with anyone else. That's not ever gonna happen again, OK? Not ever, I promise. You got me, Marie, just you. Only you."

Thirty-One weeks ago

"I don't know where she went. I ain't her keeper no more."

"Don't you even care?"

"You're the one fuckin' her now, not me. You keep track of her."

"You really are a cold-hearted bastard, you know that? I've told you a thousand times, it's not us on that tape!"

"But you don't want to be stuck with me, do you? Not really - not - not like this. It's taking too much time for me to - to get back to normal and to feel good about us again, isn't it? I'm taking too much time."

"No. No you're not. There's no such thing as too much time. You take whatcha need."

"I don't want to lose you." God, she didn't even register a word I said on that - either that, or she didn't believe a word. Don't blame her, but I gotta find a way to convince her. If she pushes herself now, it'll just fuck everythin' all up, and I'll lose her. I'll really lose her.

"You won't. I promise. I swear it, Marie. You won't ever lose me again. No matter what." Just a frown and a little huff. Frustrated. She's frustrated 'cause I keep sayin' that. It don't mean nothin' to her but I keep sayin' it. Fuck. Gotta think of somethin' else.

"What are you doing here?"

"Chuck said you didn't find her yet."

"I thought you didn't care."

"Where the hell have you been lookin'? She's just one girl, she can't be that hard to find. Use the big round room or some shit."

"Cerebro won't work on her because of the different personalities in her head. The Professor can't read her."

"So look the old fashioned way. Go out, find her. Don't just sit here on your ass, Scooter."

"I have been out looking. I can't find her. I'm coming up with nothing."

"Fuck, can't you do anythin' right? Huh? What if she's in trouble?"

"If you think you can do a better job, you look."

"But I really think - "

"I'm scared." Nothin's workin'. Might as well go with the truth. At least it got her attention. "I'm scared, Marie, terrified. I don't want you to hate me. I'm scared that if I push you or if you feel like you hafta sleep with me to keep me, you'll wind up hatin' me for it. I know you will. I already put you through enough. I'm amazed that you don't hate my guts as it is. I'm terrified of losin' you and I don't wanna do anythin' that might make that happen. I'm scared."

Twenty-Nine Weeks ago

"I know. I thought she'd be here too. We tracked her all the way to Mississippi. I thought for sure she was heading home."

"Well, she ain't here. And I dunno why I ever letcha talk me inta lookin' here. All we're doin' is wastin' time when Marie could be in trouble. Dammit!"

"I'm scared too. I'm scared - I'm scared that you'll go back to Jean if I don't - if I'm not with you like that. I don't want to lose you. I'm scared of that more than anything else."

Oh God - oh my God - she's talkin' to me, really talkin' to me for the first time in ages. I can see it, I can feel it - she's all there, and she's really talkin' to me, talkin' like we usedta. My heart hurts, I missed that so damn much. She's the only person ever to talk to me that way.

"You don't hafta be scared of that, darlin'. You don't hafta 'cause there's nothin' and no one on the face of the earth that could separate me from you now. I love you. You. Just you. I wanna be with you more than anythin' else. You won't lose me, I swear it."

Twenty-Eight weeks ago

"Logan, you've looked everywhere. She'll come back. Maybe she's just - just doing this to get attention, to make you go after her, to just - "

"No, she ain't. She's not like that. I know her."

"Well, you didn't know she was sleeping with my fiancee, did you?"

"You know what, Jeannie? Shut the hell up."

"I want to believe you." Just a little whisper. That's OK, she's still with me. She's still talkin' to me. "But part of me is saying that if we don't - if we aren't together soon, you'll go back to Jean. I know you need that, that physical part of it."

"I do. But I only want it with you, darlin'. I can wait." Frownin'. She didn't believe that. Think, Logan, think. There's gotta be some way to - aha! Got it! "What do I say? You know, the part of me up in your head?"

"You're hiding." Shit. That was worse somehow because here come the tears. "You've been hiding ever since the videotape came. You won't come out. You left me up there too." *Fuck.* "I miss you."

"I'm here. I'm right here. I'm still with you. I'm here." Gotta hold her - maybe that'll help. God, why didn't I stick with her up there?

Twenty-Seven weeks ago

"You really are a cretin, do you know that?"

"Fuck you. Where's Rogue?"

"Dead by now, I suppose."

"Goddammit! If you don't tell me where she is right now, your shapeshiftin' ass is goin' down!"

"You're too late. I already have my revenge for what you did to Erik. My revenge and then some."

"It was you on that tape, wasn't it? It was you and who - some other shapeshifter?"

"I played both roles if you must know - I don't suppose you watched closely enough to see that their skin never completely parted, and 'Scott's' visor hid my eyes. It was easy enough."

"Unless you wanna lose the other arm, start talkin'. Tell me where she is."

"She's - she's in the back, in the basement. I - don't leave me! I'll bleed to death!"

Still cryin', but she's holdin' on to me. That's good, right? "You OK?"

"Mmm-hmm. Sorry. I promised myself I wouldn't cry."

"It's OK, darlin'." Better for her to let it out. I'll admit - I wish she'd punch me or yell or tell me to go to hell. Woulda been a lot easier to take than those big eyes fulla tears. Woulda been a lot easier to take if she didn't look so damn much like her whole heart got broken. 'Course - she looks that way 'cause it did. 'Cause I did that to her.

Twenty-Six weeks ago

"Dammit, Jeannie, can't you do anythin' for her?"

"No, Logan. I've told you a dozen times. We don't know why she's in the coma. When you touched her, her physical wounds repaired. We can't account for the brain activity or the fever."

"Lemme touch her again then."

"We barely brought you back the last time. No way. I can't in good conscience let you - "

"You can't physically stop me so get outta my way, huh? Enough of this medical bullshit. I'm touchin' her again."

"Logan, no! Logan, wait!"

"No. No more of - uh. Mph. Shit. Shit! Why ain't it workin'? Why ain't it workin'?!"

"I - I don't know. Don't you feel anything?"

"No! Jeannie! Help her! Fix it!"

"Logan, calm down. Just calm down."

"I know it sounds pretty stupid, but I wantcha to know - I know how much I hurt ya and I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I shouldnta ever done it, even if I thought you hurt me first. Even if - Marie, even if you hurt me sometime, you know, down the road, even if it's bad, I wantcha to know I'm never, ever gonna hurt you like that again. I can't. My heart wouldn't take it, OK? I wantcha to know that." I think that's it. Been talkin' for a few minutes, tryin' to get somethin' out that will reach her, somethin' she can believe. I dunno if that worked but that's all I got in there now. I don't think it did work - she's still cryin'.

"My heart hurts too. It aches."

"I know and I'm so sorry."

"I know. I still get scared though, and it - it still hurts."

"Sorry baby, so sorry."

"Make it better, OK? I don't - I don't know how to fix it and you always make me all better. Can you - can you just do that, Logan? Please?"

"So that's what I did today. I know you've been stuck here all day, but I bet you woulda gone out to paint. You always said days like this had good light for it. I really loved it when you let me watch ya paint. You looked really beautiful, you know, more than usual, doin' that. You got a lotta talent, darlin', tons of it.................... I wish you'd wake up. Even if - even if you don't wanna let me watch any more, even if you don't want me anywhere near ya, I'd love to know you're up and paintin' again. I miss you. I miss you so much, Marie. Please baby, wake up, OK? Wake up and I'll - I'll tell you it was all some big bad dream. I'll tell you it never happened, none of it. I'll hold ya and tell you how much I love you, how much I need you. It'll be just like it was. You - you liked how it was with us before, right? Things were good, I know they were. They were good and they'll be just like that, just like you want. Just wake up, OK, Marie?"

"I'd give my life if I could to fix it, darlin'. The truth is - the truth is that I fucked it all up. I can't fix it. I'm the one who broke it. I'm so sorry."

"Darlin', come on, come back to me, wake up. Jeannie! Come here! Now!"

"I'm sorry too. I don't know what to do to fix it either but I don't want it to be broken, I don't want us to be broken."

"You're not broken. That's me. You're OK. None of this - nothin' was 'cause of you. It was all 'cause of me."

"Please don't." Don't make me hafta hear you blame yourself for everythin' from not lovin' me enough to not bein' a good person to not makin' me see that it really wasn't you. Don't, baby, please. "It's on me, Marie. It's all on me."

"Right here, darlin'."

"Right here, holdin' you. Can't you feel me, darlin'?"

"Marie, wake up, honey. You've been in and out, but it's time to wake up for good now."

"I'm dreaming, right?"

"You're touching me and I'm not hurting you and you're touching me. I'm dreaming."

"No, no. It's real. I can touch you now and I - "

"But you wouldn't. You hate me now. You wouldn't touch me even if you could. I'm dreaming."

"Oh God, Marie........"

"Don't let go. Let me dream some more. Just a little longer. I missed you so much......."

"But we both have to fix it now. Logan, I think - I think that we should be together. Maybe that will fix it."

I dunno. I just plain dunno what to do here.

"Or if - if you don't want to, um, be with me, I - "

"No. No, darlin', I wanna - I wanna be with you, a lot. So much. I can't - I can't really even find the words for it." I dunno what to do, but I do know what I can't do - I can't hurt her anymore. I guess I gotta go with my gut. "C'mere, OK? Lemme hold onta you a little bit." Just gonna take her in my arms, nothin' that's too much. Just a little kiss on her forehead. Just one. Can't let the taste of her take me over, can't let myself get too carried away. Just one kiss on the forehead and one on the cheek. That's all. That's it. Just one kiss on the forehead, one on the cheek and a tiny one on the lips........

"So, you don't hafta worry, she's in prison now and you'll be safe. I'll - I'll look out for ya if -if that's what you want."

"I wanna tell ya I'm sorry. I wanna show ya that. I - I am sorry, so sorry."

"It's OK. I'm sorry too."

"For what, darlin'?"

"I didn't love you enough, or - or how you needed me too. I can see that now. I didn't - you needed things I couldn't give you."

"No, that's not right, that's - "

"It is. I know it. I can feel it. I made a mess of everything. I - "

"Baby? You OK?" I didn't mean for that to happen, I really didn't. But the scent of her so close, the scent of her wantin' me - I shoulda known I couldn't resist.

"Mmm-hmmm." I know she's satisfied, I made sure of that. But, emotionally......

"I love you. I loved bein' with you like that again."

"Really?" My God, she really does wonder. She really doesn't know. "It's - it's different, you know, now that we can touch. It's better, isn't it?"

"It's different." It's always been so damn good with her - touchin', no touchin', whatever.

"But now, it's - it's enough. It's enough for you now, right?"

"Always has been, Marie. You've always been so much more than everythin' I ever wanted."

"I just want to make you happy. If we - if we try again, I just want to make you happy this time. Do you think this part, is it OK?"

This is it - this is my punishment. Havin' to see Marie hurtin', not bein' able to fix it, havin' to see her so uncertain, so insecure about herself. I hate it. I can't stand it. I can't fuckin' stand it. But I did it. This is my punishment.

"I missed ya too. Thanks for - thanks for goin' out with me."

"I had a really good time. I - I, um, thanks. Thanks for taking me out. I liked it."

"Sorry. I'm - I'm babbling, I'm not making sense. Sorry."

"No, no, you're fine. You're fine. That made sense."

"I was just really excited when you said you wanted to go out. I'm - don't pay any attention to me."

She's sleepin' now, and this is the best part. I always usedta hold her as she slept, usedta love doin' it too. It was when I could tell her things, all the things I couldn't get up the nerve to say to those big brown eyes lookin' at me with so much love and trust. I can still tell her some things.

"Love you, Marie. Always. Always have, always will. I hurt you, on purpose, 'cause I didn't believe that - well, I just didn't believe that I could really ever have the thing I wanted most, you. I hurt you, and on purpose, in anger. I hurt you in the worst way I could think of. And it worked. It worked really well. You hurt a lot, right down to your soul. I dunno if - if there'll ever be a way for me to make up for that. You are so beautiful, Marie, so good. You don't deserve the shit I've done to you. I wish I could take it off of your heart. I'm so damn sorry, Marie."

"How're you doin'? Everything OK?"

"Um, sure. Sure. Fine. Everything's fine."

"Everything's fine."

"You can tell me if - "

"Everything's fine."

"I wantcha to know that when you saw me in the kitchen with Jeannie before, there was nothin' goin' on. I shoulda caught on at the time, but - but I wasn't thinkin'. I get so obsessed with you - it's all about you, Marie. I was so focused on fixin' things with you, watchin' your reactions, thinkin' on how to make you not hate me - I guess I had my head up my ass there. Wasn't seein' what was right in fronta my face. But I wantcha to know nothin' happened. The truth is, Marie, that I was only with her once. Just once. It was outta revenge on both our parts, and I think all that it accomplished was makin' the both of us sick. I don't - I've never wanted anyone but you and I know we did the act, the physical act, but I've never been with anyone like I've been with you. Please, Marie, please just get that, just hear that somehow and believe it, baby. It's only you."

"Right here. I'm right here. I gotcha." Gotta make sure she knows that. Gotta make sure she knows I'm right here, that I wouldn't leave after makin' love to her.

"Oh. I fell asleep - we - um, we fell asleep in the rec room."

"Yeah. But nobody'll bother us." I'll claw anyone who even tries. I think everyone knows to steer clear.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"Are you - were you crying?" Yeah, more than a little. Can't help it. My heart is broken too. "Are you OK? Did I - did I do something wrong? Did I - "

"Marie, darlin', you listen to me, all right, baby? You're nobody's punchin' bag, OK? Especially not mine. I hurt ya. *I* hurt *you*, not the other way around. I know that you might see part of this as your fault, but lemme tell ya somethin' - it's my fault. I fucked up. Bad. I know that right now, you - you just wanna fix it, and that's what I want too, but, baby, you're nobody's punchin' bag, and one day, it's gonna dawn on you that I took some pretty hard shots at ya. That's how it was. You don't owe me nothin', you don't hafta make anythin' up to me. I know that maybe right now, you don't feel like that, but, darlin', you will. One day you will. You got too much spirit in you, too much fire, to take anybody's crap. You shouldn't take mine. I love you, baby. I love you so much. But what happened here - it was my wrongdoin', not yours. Trust me on that, kid. Trust me on that one."

"And I know that - I know that you feel like you didn't do right by me, but you did. You always did, every day, every minute. You - "

"Logan - I can feel you."

"No, I mean - I can feel you, in my head. It was just a whisper, just a flash, but I can feel you. You're - you're there."

Oh, God. Oh, thank God. Thank God.

"I can feel you." Go on, let the tears fall baby. I got some of my own that want out. Thank God.

"She takes after her mother."

"Hey, Jeannie." She's been good 'bout steerin' clear of Marie durin' the delivery - there to assist Hank if he needed it, but well away from Marie. It was pretty nice of her. "Yeah, she's pretty mellow, huh?"

"For a newborn, yes. Congratulations, Logan." That's pretty nice of her too. Given that things worked out for me and Marie but they didn't work out for her and Scooter - well, that's damn nice of her to say.

"Hank wants to talk to you. I'll send him in." Big blue's been good to us too. Put Marie at ease right away. I think him havin' the fur makes it easier - she don't hafta be too nervous 'bout her skin, and believe me, that came in handy today.

"Logan, congratulations."

"Thanks, Hank. But Marie did all the hard work."

"True, my friend, true. I wanted to give you a small word of caution - she will have a difficult time with the separation of her psyche from the baby's over the next few days." Both Hank and Jeannie said that Marie got the baby in her head some, since it was growin' inside her. I know she really enjoyed that part of bein' pregnant - connectin' with our daughter like that was real special to her. I know she'll miss it. Probably already does. "Whatever you can do to bolster your presence in her head would be appreciated, I am sure."

"I don't think there's anythin' I can do." Marie's always been glad to have me up there, but it's not like there's anythin' I -

"You will need to avoid anything even hinting of distress, and obviously any - any hint of anger or betrayal or - "

"Anger? Betrayal? What the hell're you talkin' 'bout?"

"I apologize. I did not mean to overstep. But it was my understanding that she suppressed the part of you in her psyche during - during the matter of the misunderstanding and the videotape several years back. I know she found it quite distressing. I apologize. I did not mean to intrude, I - "

"She said that? She suppressed me?"

"No. Allow me to start over." Well, hurry up, big blue. 'Cause I dunno what the hell is goin' on here. "When I discussed with Marie her health history, including her mental health history, she mentioned the departure of 'you' in her psyche as a particularly distressing event. I suggested to her that perhaps, you did not 'leave'; perhaps she had suppressed you as a self- protective mechanism, as a way to guard against assaults from the inside of a similar nature that had distressed her so from the 'outer' you."

"Indeed. Marie argued the point - she did not agree with my supposition. But I believe it is a sound theory."

"Do not be angry, I - "

"I'm not mad. Thanks, Hank." I'm not mad at all. It means - it means I didn't hurt her as bad as I thought. She still had some of that fire, some of that spark. It was never totally gone. I didn't kill that in her, not completely. Oh, God, I'm not mad, I'm grateful. "I'm gonna head in and see my girls."

"It's all right. Thanks, Hank." Can't blame him for thinkin' I'd fly off the handle. Pretty much everyone has that first impression of me and, well, I ain't sayin' it's wrong. After all, that quality in me - it was the source of the fuck up in the first place. But I'm a man, not an animal; I can change. At least, for Marie, I can change. "Hey, darlin'. Who's that beautiful girl you got there?"

"Your daughter." She's so proud of that, so glad she could give me a child. I'm proud too.