One-Way Ticket On A Runaway Train
The Return To Westchester
"Are you sure it's Scooter's?" He finally managed to get out, as he pulled his jeans back on and slipped the black T-shirt over his head.
Rogue, meanwhile, had wrapped herself in an emerald green kimono style silk robe and knotted the sash. An offended look washed over her face.
"Ah haven't been with anyone else since ah left New York. So, yes, ah'm positive it's his," Rogue replied angrily, "Ah know ah work here, but ah resent the implication of that question, Logan."
"I'm sorry. It wasn't meant to imply you were a whore, Marie. I was just hoping it was someone else's ..........anyone but Scott."
"Well it is and that's why ah'm not going back there," Rogue reiterated, "'Sides, ah doubt y'all want me now, anyway," she added forlornly.
Logan closed the space between them and gathered her firmly in his powerful arms. Crushing her to him, he kissed the top of her head gently and stroked her hair. She hadn't intentionally gotten pregnant and he shouldn't punish her for it. Life was about to get extremely complicated for her, without having the added worries of dealing with his insecurities, too. She needed him to be there for her, to be strong for her and to love her - unconditionally. He'd tracked her down to bring her closer to him, not drive her further away and he knew what he had to do.
"I love you, Marie. This complicates the hell out of things, I won't pretend to deny that, but it doesn't change how I feel about you," he told her, hoping he sounded sincere.
Rogue looked up him with questioning eyes. "How can ya still love me, Logan, when ah'm carrying another man's child?"
"Because it's still a part of you and I'm gonna do my damndest to try and remember that. Everything else can be worked out."
At that, Rogue finally burst into tears and Logan just held her tighter.
"We have to go back. Scott has to be told," Logan said quietly.
"NO! Ah can't, Logan. Ah just can't," Rogue cried, almost in a panic.
"Marie, he has to be told. I'd love to just run off somewhere with you, set up house and pretend this kid is mine, but we both know that wouldn't be fair to Cyke."
"Ya don't even like Scott. Why do ya care if he knows or not?" she asked, wiping her eyes.
"Because if it was me, and I had a kid out there somewhere, I'd sure as hell would wanna know. It's not about my personal feelings. It's about doing the right thing." Then he added with a chuckle, "And can't believe those words just came outta my mouth."
"Ya said he and Jean just got back together, right? How's this gonna affect that? Jean's gonna be devasted. Ah'm not her favorite person ta begin with, and this ain't exactly gonna bring us closer together."
"That's her problem. Not yours."
"Logan, it's gonna be a big problem. Ah guarantee it. Ya may not know this, but Jean can't have children. So mah giving Scott what she can't, *is* gonna be huge," Rogue informed Logan.
Logan contemplated that new piece of information, realizing that this baby was going to mean a hell of a lot more to Scott than he'd originally anticipated. He didn't want to let on that this was starting to bother him more than he'd first thought. Marie was pregnant and she needed to be somewhere safe. That's what he needed to focus on and put his own feelings aside, for once.
"We're leaving tonight. I'm not arguing with you about this anymore. I'll be there for you when you face Scott and Jean. It'll work out, and if it don't, we'll leave, taking junior with us and to hell with all of 'em."
Rogue managed a weak smile. "Okay, Logan. Ah give up. Ya win. We'll go back ta Westchester."
Logan called the Professor and requested that he send the Blackbird to pick them up as he didn't think Rogue would be too comfortable on the back of the bike for 2,500 miles. Then they left the club and drove a few miles to Rogue's apartment located in the ritzy complex "Del Prado" in the upscale Biltmore neighborhood. Noting the luxurious surroundings of the spacious apartment, Logan commented about how well 'Lolita' got paid, but Rogue just shrugged her shoulders. After collecting her belongings and bidding her roommate goodbye, they left for Sky Harbor International Airport, where they'd arranged to meet the X-Jet.
Storm and Hank arrived to retrieve them and Logan was grateful for the Professor's discretion in not sending Scott. There would be plenty of time for that difficult conversation when they were on solid ground. Logan sat up front with Storm and tried to politely answer her questions about Rogue's general health and well being. Rogue, meanwhile, was in the back of the jet where she revealed to Hank, in hushed tones, her current medical condition and informed him that Logan already knew. Hank recommended a complete check-up once they were back home. Rogue then requested that he not mention anything to anyone else just yet, and Hank reassured her of strict patient-doctor confidentiality in the matter.
Too soon, they were back in the hangar beneath the mansion, with Rogue trembling slightly as the jet's engines were killed. Logan held her hand, and giving it a little squeeze, leaned over and whispered in her ear.
"I'm right here with you."
Rogue looked into his face, gave him a weak smile and gripped his hand firmly. On his way past them out of the jet, Hank patted Rogue on the shoulder and gave her an everything's-going-to-be-okay smile.
"It's late, my dear Rogue. We'll perform the requisite evaluation in the morning. I recommend that you repose in the sanctuary of your suite and get some much essential somnolence."
Logan looked at Rogue with a quizzical expression.
"Shut eye," Rogue interpreted.
"I knew that," Logan stated.
Logan and Rogue walked down the ramp of the Blackbird hand-in-hand, where they were greeted by the solitary figure of the Professor. Rogue walked over to the Professor, leaned down, kissed him on the cheek and apologized for causing him unnecessary worry.
"You're safe and you're home, again. That is all that matters, my dear," The Professor told her.
"Thank you, Professor. It's good ta be home," Rogue said unconvincingly.
The Professor didn't need to probe Rogue's mind to realize that she appeared to be under tremendous stress and was extremely nervous about being back at the mansion. Although he didn't know the exact reason for her unusual agitation, he suspected that it was more than just apprehension about seeing Scott again. He decided, however, not to push the issue for this evening at least, and suggested that they talk in the morning. Rogue seemed grateful for the temporary reprieve and appeared to relax slightly. Thanking Storm and Hank for picking them up and bidding them goodnight, Logan steered Rogue out of the hangar bay and into the elevator that would take them up to the living quarters of the mansion.
Once upstairs, Logan opened the door to the room that had originally been his, had been Rogue's for a year and then his again after she took off. Rogue hesitated for a split second, unsure of herself or of Logan.
"Guess this is *our* room, now," Logan said to answer her unspoken question.
Tears welled up in Rogue's eyes as she leaned over and pressed a kiss delicately to his lips.
"Thank you," she said softly, almost in a whisper.
"It'll make it more convenient to make love, if we're not too far apart," Logan replied seductively, causing Rogue to blush.
"Can Ah at least get passed the threshold?" she asked with a small laugh.
Logan pulled her into the room, quickly shut the door and encircled her in his arms in a bear hug. Lifting her chin up, he planted a tender kiss on her lips.
"I won't ravish you tonight, I know you need your rest," he informed her.
"What if Ah wanna be ravished?" she asked cheekily.
"Do you?" he replied back.
"Sugar, Ah'm not *that* tired," she said with a mischievous wink.
"Yeah, well you're gonna be," he warned her, as they fell onto the bed.