Fender Benders And Consequences

Logan strolled into the office Monday morning - two hours late. Not wanting to tear himself away from Marie, he'd spent Sunday night there, too. Which meant he had to drive into the city and change before heading into work. Agnes, not used to her boss simply not showing up, had no explanation for his whereabouts when Scott demanded to know where Logan was. She was greatly relieved when she looked up to see Logan approaching her desk.

{If only I were thirty years younger.} Even Agnes wasn't immune to the splendor that was Logan.

Logan leaned over the desk and gave Agnes a quick peck on the cheek.

"Morning, Agnes. How was your weekend?"

Now Logan didn't normally kiss Agnes, so to say she was a little stunned was an understatement of epic proportions. She put her hand to the cheek he'd just kissed and sat there for a moment, speechless. Flashing her a devilish grin, Logan proceeded into his office. Agnes regained her composure and followed him in.

"Mr. Summers is looking for you, Mr. Roberts. He said you were to go to his office the minute you got here and he sounded pretty ticked about something."

Agnes was very protective of her boss.

"Yeah, well Scooter can kiss my rosy-red a....."

Logan never got to finish that thought because at that precise moment Scott came charging into his office.

"Heard you finally showed up," Scott said loudly and obviously very agitated.

Addressing Logan's secretary he said in a tight voice "Agnes, please leave and shut the door behind you."

Agnes looked quizzically at her boss.

"It's ok, Agnes, that'll be all for now."

Agnes retreated from the room, closing the door as instructed. Of course, most of Scott and Logan's arguments were so loud, closed doors didn't make any difference.

"Just what kind of fucking game do you think you're playing, Roberts?" Scott demanded

"Excuse me all to hell, but what the fuck are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about my sister, Logan. My baby sister."

{How the fuck... There's no way. No one knows where I've been all weekend.}

"Don't even try to deny it. Laurie saw you leave the office with her."

Logan realized that Scott was talking about his lunch 'date' with Marie on Friday. Laurie was Scott's secretary and had witnessed the whole exchange and obviously went tattling to her boss first thing. Bitch. Logan had screwed her just the once, on Scott's desk no less. When it became apparent that Logan wasn't interested in a repeat performance, it became Laurie's personal crusade to put the screws to him at every opportunity.

"It was just lunch, Scott. That's all - lunch." {On Friday, anyway.}

"Stay away from her, Logan. I'm not even remotely kidding about this." Scott was gritting his teeth.

"Or what?" Logan challenged.

"I'll kick your sorry ass from here to the Canadian Border, that's what!"

"Yeah, well you better bring a whole shit-load of help, 'cause even Agnes could wipe the floor with you, and that's with her arthritis!"

Scott decided to change tactics. "Logan, please, I'm begging you. Stay away from Marie. She deserves someone better. Someone with more ......... class."

"You think 'cause your family's money goes back a few more generations, that makes you better than me?"

"Damnit, Logan. That's not what I meant and you fucking know it."

{Wow, the choir boy actually used the *F* word.}

Logan, of course, knew exactly what Scott meant. He didn't want the company whore anywhere near his precious sister and he didn't blame Scott one bit.

"Look, Logan," Scott continued "Jeannie was one thing, but this is... this is not even in the same league. Not even close. You can have any woman you want. Leave this one alone. Just let this one go."

He was almost pleading.

"Look, if you're quite through, I'd appreciate it if you'd get the fuck out of my office."

"Logan..."

"I get the message, Scott. Goodbye."

After Scott left, Logan sunk into his chair and ran his hands through his hair. If Scott was this pissed about lunch, he shuddered to think what would happen if he found out the rest. So much for mending fences.

Logan had no intention of letting Scott put a crimp in his plans with Marie. They'd just have to be extra careful from now on.

~*~*~*

Jubilee had a paying job at the "Icing On The Top" accessories store at the mall and volunteered at the shelter on Mondays and Wednesdays. Kitty's job at the "Bath & Body Works" in the same mall allowed her to volunteer on Mondays and Thursdays. Which meant both girls were there when Marie arrived on Monday morning. Marie had barely walked through the front door when both girls pounced her at the same time.

Both girls started talking at once, thrusting questions at Marie so quickly and loudly that Marie's head started to spin. She put two fingers in her mouth and whistled sharply.

"Ok, Ok, one at a time.......please!"

Jubilee went first. "Who the fuck was thanking me for 'fruit lessons' and why did he know about that?"

Marie tried to suppress a giggle. She still couldn't believe that Logan had actually thanked Jubes. He'd told her he would, but she hadn't thought he'd been serious.

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

"Try us," said Kitty

"Ok, but you guys have gotta swear it won't go further than the three of us. Pinky-swear in a big way."

Whenever it was something major, they would always pinky-swear - a tradition that went all the way back to kindergarten.

"Oh, my gawd, this is pinky-swear stuff?" Jubilee asked incredulously

"Huge pinky-swear, the biggest pinky-swear we'll ever do," Marie informed them.

They each put out the pinky fingers of their right hands and the three of them tangled their fingers together.

"Pinky-swear." They shouted in unison.

Marie gulped in a big breath and said "Logan. It was Logan."

Both girls looked like somebody had just hit them with a baseball bat - hard. There was a moment of stunned silence.

"Does this mean what I think it means?" Jubilee inquired with hesitation, even for her.

"It means you can't tease me about being Westchester's oldest living virgin anymore."

"Oh, my gawd, you did the deed with Mr. Droolworthy?"

"Yes, and I'd prefer you not call him that anymore, thank you very much."

"Marie, are you outta your mind? Scott is gonna go postal when he finds out," Kitty reminded her.

"That's why he's not going to find out, dum-dum."

Ororo turned sharply and headed back to her office quickly. She couldn't believe what she'd just overheard.

"Marie?" Ororo called out as Marie walked past her office.

"Yes, 'Ro?"

"Can you come in here a minute, hon?"

Marie entered Ororo's office. "What's up?"

"Close the door, would you, please," Ororo directed

{Oh, Oh. This can't be good she looks real serious.}

"Did you and Scott have a fight or something? 'Cause I can help you kick his butt. I think together we can take him."

Ororo couldn't help but smile at that statement.

"No, Marie this isn't about me and Scott. It's about you and Logan."

A strangled "Oh" was all Marie could get out. She knew they were busted big time. If Ororo knew, then Scott was only a heartbeat away from knowing, too. If she called now, maybe Logan would have enough of a head start to get out of the state.

"I'm not gonna mention this to Scott - for now," Ororo surprised her by saying.

Well, stunned her, actually. "You're not? How come?"

"Because it would be pointless. You're not gonna see him anymore."

"Now just a minute, 'Ro. Not to be rude or anything, but what makes you think you can tell me who I can and cannot see?" Marie went from being afraid that Ororo would tell Scott, to doing a slow burn.

"Marie, there are a hundred reasons why you shouldn't be involved with Logan and not one reason why you should."

"You don't know a thing about Logan except from gossip."

"Marie, the gossip is pretty bad and even if only a quarter of it were true..."

"You know nothing about the real Logan."

"And I suppose you think you do?"

"Yes. I do."

"How long has this been going on, exactly?"

"Since Saturday - well, we had lunch together Friday, if that counts?"

"And you think you know this man, in what, less than 72 hours? Think about how ridiculous that sounds, Marie. If you were being honest with yourself."

"Well, 48 hours of that was pretty intense, 'Ro," she spat out furiously.

She thought Ro was her friend, but guess she thought wrong and was extremely disappointed.

"There's no need to be vulgar, Marie," Ororo continued calmly.

"Believe me, I haven't even begun to get vulgar. You want vulgar, I can give you vulgar."

"Marie, I don't want to fight with you - we're friends. Friends should be able to have an open and honest conversation with each other."

"We're not having a conversation, 'Ro. You're trying to give me a lecture about something, that when it comes right down to it, is none of your damn business."

"I care about you. That makes it my business."

"Look, Ororo, contrary to what you may think, I'm not a complete idiot. I know about Logan's rep. And before you even mention the age gap - don't bother. My father was fifteen years older than my mother and they made it work for nearly three decades!"

Ororo didn't know that fact, having meet Marie and Scott after Harrison and Margaret had died.

Marie decided to placate Ororo a little.

"Look, 'Ro. I don't know where this thing with Logan is going. You could be right, I could be just another empty conquest for him, in which case this whole conversation is utterly pointless."

"Marie, I just don't want to see you get hurt. Scott won't want to see you get hurt."

"Believe me, it's not what I'm aiming for."

"Why, Logan? Good God, anyone but him. Does the name Jean ring a bell?"

"That turned out to be a blessing, Jean's a cold bitch. I'm glad they didn't get married. I'm just sorry she's had her skanky germs all over Logan for the past seven months."

"It may have worked out in the end, but try to remember the pain Scott went through when it first happened. He lost a fiancée to Logan; it'll crush him to lose his sister, too."

"He won't lose me, 'Ro."

"He'll never accept a relationship between you two - never."

"Ok, let's you and I cut a deal, shall we. You give me three months to see where this is heading without either of us telling Scott. In three months, if things are going well, I'll tell him. If it's over, he never has to know. Deal?"

"One month - not three. You'll never keep it a secret for three months."

"One month - deal." Marie held her hand out to Ororo. They shook on it.

{Good, at least I've bought myself some time.}