Logan was growling slightly in the back of his throat as he guided Marie down the hallway, an arm wrapped around her waist. He was in full protective mode. No one was getting near his Marie without his express permission.
“Logan, ya just scared that six year-old,” Marie hissed, rolling her eyes in his direction.
“He almost bumped you,” was Logan’s defense. “No one bumps you.”
Marie tilted her head up and pressed a kiss to the bottom of his chin. “Ya worry too much, sugah. Ah’m perfectly all right. Ah promise. Ah wouldn’t be up here walkin’ ‘round if Ah wasn’t all right. We both know that ya’d be carryin’ me if Ah wasn’t all right.”
“Damn straight,” Logan grumbled, holding her closer. He was careful, though, not to squeeze her too hard.
Marie simply leaned into him, sighing deeply. She seemed to be genuinely content which made Logan content. All that he wanted was for Marie to be happy. And while he still wasn’t sure how she could be happy with him after everything he’d done to her, Logan was glad that she was.
“Where are the boys at?” Marie asked as they started up the stairs to their second floor suite.
“Chocolate Bar and Popsicle are watching them,” Logan told her, keep his eyes out, keeping his eyes out for any approaching threats.
“Chocolate Bar... Who is-- Logan!” Marie cried, jabbing him in the gut with her elbow. “Her name is not Chocolate Bar. Her name is Kitty. Kitty.”
Logan rolled his eyes. “Well you always call her Kit Kat. That’s a chocolate bar. What am I supposed to do?”
“Yer s’pose t’ learn people’s real names,” Marie told him. “It’s polite an’ nice an’ it means Ah don’t hafta listen t’ mah friends bitch ‘bout the complexes ya’ve given them. St. John can’t even go near fireflies anymore ‘cause o’ ya.”
Even though he knew he should have felt guilty, Logan couldn’t stop the smirk that appeared on his face. As soon as Marie caught sight of it, though, Logan’s smirk was gone. He adopted a sheepish expression which remained on his face until Marie looked away again. The smirk returned instantly and he couldn’t contain his snicker.
“Ah’m not even gonna get inta the complex ya’ve given poor Scott,” Marie giggled, unable to remain serious about the conversation. “Ah swear, every time he hears a motor cycle he’s runnin’ t’ make sure that ya haven’t run off with his baby.”
“You do something once and you’re branded for life,” Logan grumbled good naturedly.
“Sugah, ya were gone fer almost five months with no word,” Marie reminded him. “Poor Scott was goin’ insane imaginin’ all sorts o’ evil things ya were doin’ t’ his bike.”
“That’s ‘cause Scooter’s a pansy.”
Logan was surprised that Marie didn’t try to argue with him on that. Maybe he was finally turning her over to his way of thinking. They certainly spent enough time together for him to have corrupted her.
After tracking Logan down up north, Marie hadn’t let him out of her sight for a couple of weeks. She was with him at all times, even if he was just lying down watching TV. Marie was constantly reassuring him that she loved and even though Logan would never admit to it, he had really needed it then. There were many times that Logan managed to convince himself that Marie wanted nothing to do with him after what he had done, but she was always the first to tell him that it wasn’t true. That she loved him despite what he like to think.
“Y’ really don’t think Hunter an’ Chase’ll react too badly to this, do ya?” Marie asked, worrying her bottom lip nervously.
Logan pulled her close, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “No I don’t. Why would they react badly? It’s not like we took away their Play Station.”
“Ah know that, but--”
“No buts, Marie. I don’t want you worrying. Just relax, darlin’. Everything will be all right,” Logan told her, crouching down so they were eye to eye. “Now give me one of those killer smiles of yours. That’s it, darlin’. That’s the smile I love.”
Logan liked this change of events. The first few months after their return from their impromptu vacation up north, Marie had been the one protecting him. For the most part, Marie had been protecting him from himself. It had taken her two weeks alone to convince Logan that he deserved to sleep in their bed. He had delegated himself to the couch, spending his nights there despite Marie’s best attempts to lure him into their bed. At first the only reason Logan gave in was because every night that he fell asleep on the couch, he woke up with Marie’s arms wrapped around him and her head resting under his chin.
As soon as Logan opened the door to the suite that their family called home, they were greeted with cheers and applauds. Having known what was going to happen, Logan merely grinned as he led a shocked Marie into the living room.
“Mommy, yer tummy’s not big any more,” Hunter announced as he rushed towards her and Logan.
Logan grinned and scooped up both Chase and Hunter when they got close enough. “That because the little person living in her tummy decided to come out and live with us.”
Both of the boys’ eyes got really big when Logan said that. They both stared at the sleeping bundle in Marie’s arms, unsure of what to make of it.
“Mommy, who’s that?” Chase asked, pointing at the tiny person Marie was holding.
Marie smiled broadly, tilting the infant so that everyone in the room could see it. “Everyone, Logan an’ Ah would like ya t’ meet our new baby girl. Diedre Marie MacKenzie-Hunters. Diedre, this is everyone.”
Logan could still clearly remember the day that Marie had come back from an afternoon in town with Jubilee and Kitty with a surprise for him. He’d been lying on their bed, absently flicking through the stations when Marie had come bouncing into the room with a large manila envelope in her hand. She had jumped onto his stomach, waving the envelope in his face.
Inside had been updated versions of hers, Logan’s and the twins’ birth certificate bearing their new hyphenated last name. Now that Logan had a past, Marie had decided to make it a part of their future. Aside from their children, it was the greatest gift Marie could have given him.
“Give her here, chica! Let me hold her!” Jubilee cried, bounding away from the crowd.
Logan growled warningly, taking a step in front of Marie.
“Easy there, Wolfman. I just wanna see my new goddaughter,” Jubilee said, holding her hands out in front of her.
Marie quirked an eyebrow. “Oh really? And when was it decided that you were her godmother?”
“Look, I’m glad that you all came here, but Marie needs her rest,” Logan grumbled, glaring death warnings at everyone. He may have let Marie soak up some of his regenerative powers to help herself recover from the delivery, but that didn’t mean she was in top form. Not after just having delivered their daughter a few hours before.
Marie rolled her eyes and banged her shoulder against Logan’s chest. “What mah darlin’ husband means t’ say is that he loves ya all, but he’s all grumbly an’ possessive right now an’ wants me an’ Diedre in bed so we can rest up.”
Logan’s answering growl sent everyone rushing for the door. They all stopped on the way out to kiss Marie on the cheek and stroke Diedre’s dark auburn hair. Logan’s constant grumbling got them moving faster.
“Yer impossible, Logan,” Marie hissed, kicking Logan’s shin with her heel. “They were only tryin’ t’ be nice. There was no reason t’ growl at them.... No, not Scott, either. So don’t even try it.”
“Down, Daddy!” Hunter ordered, squirming in his father’s arms. Chase quickly followed suit and Logan set them down.
His arms now free, Logan reached over and carefully took Diedre from Marie’s arms. He held her tenderly, a broad grin on his face. The wide-eyed innocence of Diedre’s eyes helped to heal the part of Logan that was still broken. She was proof that there was still good in him. That he could do the most unspeakable thing to the person he loved the most and still create such a beautiful little girl.
“Yer a good person,” Marie whispered, reaching up to wipe away the tear that Logan hadn’t even realized he’d shed. “Ah wouldn’t love ya so much if ya were as evil as ya think ya are. Some bad things have happened t’ ya, but that doesn’t change who ya are. Got it? ‘Cause this is the last time Ah’m explainin’ it t’ ya.”
Logan could do nothing but nod his head. It was impossible for him not to see how completely blessed he was when faced with his perfect family. Marie, Hunter, Chase and Diedre meant everything to him.
“You know I love you, right?” Logan asked, choking back more tears as he met Marie’s eyes.
Marie nodded her head, standing up on tiptoe so that she could place a kiss at the corner of his mouth. “Ah know it, sugah. Nothin’ will ever make me doubt that. So no more cryin’. This is a happy day.”
Sliding his hand into her flowing hair, Logan lowered her face down to Marie, kissing her lips softly. “Thank you for not giving up on me,” he murmured against her lips.
“Never, Logan. Ah’d never give up on ya. That’s a promise,” Marie whispered, smiling brightly.
Logan could see the utter truth behind her words shining brightly in her eyes. Marie believed in him so maybe he wasn’t as hopeless as he thought he was.
It was a good feeling.