Marie hated to see Logan suffering and, at that moment, he was suffering badly. Until they determined the purpose of the three metal chips in his head, Logan was confined to the medlab. The fact that he was in a section of the medlab that was almost identical to their bedroom didn’t make it any easier for Logan. He hated to be confined no matter what the prison looked like. So being stuck in the same room for more than a day began to grate on his nerves. Even if he hadn’t been frustrated by the lack of scenery change, the whole not knowing aspect was definitely weighing on his soul.
“I’m busting outta here tonight,” Logan announced as he pounded on the punching bag Hank had moved into the room to help keep him occupied.
“As much as I’d love for that to happen, it’s better if you stay in here,” Marie called from where she was sitting on the bed. “Besides, we still don’t know what those things in your head are or what they could make you do.”
Logan stopped punching and grabbed hold of the swinging bag. He turned his head so that he was facing Marie and pressed his cheek against the black vinyl. “That just makes it worse, darlin’. I wanna get the fuck outta here, but I don’t wanna risk hurtin’ you or the munchkins.”
Marie walked up to Logan and pulled him into a backwards hug. “Well in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not the least bit worried about you hurtin’ me. Not one little bit. So just relax, babe. You’re wound way too tight. It’s not good for you.”
“Relaxing ain’t an option right now,” Logan mumbled, leaning back against her. “Get me to forget that I’m here and we’ll talk about it.”
“Is that a challenge?” Marie murmured, brushing her lips against the side of his throat just below his ear.
For the first time since leaving their living room more than a day before, Logan laughed. It wasn’t a full blown laugh, but it was close enough to count. “If you want it to be a challenge, darlin’, you’re more than welcome to take it that way. But you’ll have your work cut out for you.”
“Then just sit tight and I’ll be back very soon. You’ll hardly even know I’m gone,” Marie told him, brushing a kiss against the nape of his neck before pulling away.
By the time she stepped out into the main area of the medlab, Marie already had her plan more or less constructed. It was relatively simple and Marie knew that Logan would benefit from it a great deal. Marie knew that it was killing Logan to stay away from the kids for so long. She silently cursed Jean for banning Kristyn and Braeden from the medlab. It wasn’t as though Logan were truly dangerous. Jean’s anal self was just rearing its ugly head. However, since Jean was in charge of the medlab, her anal self ruled all. She had a tendency to be overly cautious and Marie’s entire family was paying because of it. Kristyn and Braeden missed their father like crazy and the feeling was more than mutual as far as Logan was concerned. It was equally hard for Marie who was trying to balance things between her husband and her children.
“And how is Logan adapting to his forced quarantine?” Hank asked as Marie passed through his workroom on her way out to the main corridor.
Marie paused next to Hank, frowning slightly. “About as well as Logan takes anythin’ he doesn’t like. He hates havin’ to be away from the kids more than anythin’ else. Especially knowin’ that Kris and Braeden are just upstairs. It’s drivin’ him insane. Which is why I’m runnin’ on my little errand. Make sure Logan doesn’t destroy anythin’ while I’m gone. Oh, and can you do me a huge favour?”
“Easily, my dear Rogue. Just name the favour and I will perform,” Hank assented, setting the papers he was looking through onto the desk.
Brushing a quick kiss against Hank’s cheek, Marie told Hank what she needed to be done. It wasn’t difficult, but it was essential to Marie’s plan. Once Hank had agreed to help her, Marie took off out of the medlab. She wanted to get Logan smiling as soon as possible, but first she needed to pick up a few things and visit with Kristyn and Braeden. If everything went according to Marie’s plan, she wouldn’t see them again until the next day. It would mean missing bedtime, but Marie was sure that the pair would understand so long as it made their Daidee’s forced stay in the medlab easier for him.
“Momma!” Braeden screamed as Marie stepped out onto the back porch. “‘Tyn, Momma’s here!”
Seconds later, Marie was lying on the ground being squeezed half to death by her babies. It was wonderful and Marie wished more than anything that Logan could be there as well. Logan loved being outside and he was in the process of teaching Braeden how to play football. It was adorable to watch Logan get bowled over by the three-year-old and then pretend to have trouble getting up.
“You two aren’t runnin’ poor Katrina ragged, are ya?” Marie asked once Kristyn and Braeden allowed her to sit up.
“Tina’s having fun,” Kristyn said matter of factly.
Marie glanced over at Katrina who was still lying sprawled out on the grass.
“Well, what say we give Katrina a break and head inside for a few minutes,” Marie suggested, standing up and pulling Braeden up into her arms.
The dangerous duo protested loudly as Marie brought them inside. Marie swore that her kids would live outside 24/7 if she and Logan would let them. In the summer, their family would camp out in the mansion’s expansive lawns at least twice a week. It was all that Marie could do to get them into their snowsuits in the winter.
As much as she would have loved to spend the entire night with her children, she was unable to. Logan wasn’t taking his forced confinement very well and Marie knew that it was only a matter of time before he did something drastic. Marie wanted to prevent that at all costs which was the main purpose behind her planned diversion.
“Momma, why hasta Daidee goes bye-bye?” Braeden asked as she handed him a sippy cup full of apple juice.
Marie sat down in the chair next to him taking a cookie from the plate she had set before Kristyn and Braeden. “Well, squirt, do you remember last year when Kristyn had the chicken pox and you had to spend two weeks with Aunt Kitty and Uncle Kurt?”
Braeden nodded his head. “Yepper! ‘Tynny was all spotty.”
“That she was,” Marie agreed, grinning as she watched Kristyn absent-mindedly scratched at non-existent sores. “Well right now Daidee has somethin’ in his head and Dr. Hank doesn’t really know what it is so Daidee has to stay by himself.”
“How come you get to see Daidee?” Kristyn wanted to know, her voice slightly muffled by the cookie she had shoved in her mouth.
“Dr. Hank said that I get to visit with Daidee so that he doesn’t get bored,” Marie told them. “Only Daidee has to be all covered up like a mummy to make sure that he can’t touch me.”
That got both kids giggling. They were probably the only people besides Marie who could get away with laughing at Logan. Anyone else who even attempted it got growled at... and that was only if he was in a good mood.
Marie spent roughly half an hour with Kristyn and Braeden, before leaving them in the care of a newly reenergized Katrina. The deadly duo would eventually end up in the care of Ororo who would watch them the rest of the night.
Before heading back down to the lower levels of the mansion, Marie made a quick detour to their bedroom to retrieve something from the top drawer of her dresser. Tucking it into the front pouch of her over sized overalls, Marie slipped back out into the hallway and all but ran to the elevator that would take her down to the mansion’s bowels.
Rather than going directly to the medlab, Marie swung by the control room that over looked the main area of the Danger Room. Marie uploaded the correct program, grinning as she watched the interior of the Danger Room change before her very eyes. Marie’s last stop before returning to the medlab was the women’s locker room. For her plan to work completely, Marie needed to be in costume. However, since she couldn’t give it away before the right moment, Marie pulled one of Jean’s spare lab coats on over top of her costume.
“Hey, Hank, how’s he behaving?” Marie asked as she skipped back into the medlab.
Hank spun around on his chair and smiled at Marie. “I heard a few curses, but I daresay Logan is behaving as well as can be expected. I take it the children are doing well?”
“Other than wearing poor Katrina out, they’re doing great,” Marie informed him as she skipped towards the section of the medlab where Logan had been effectively trapped by Jean’s edict. “And, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a Logan to cheer up.”
“I’ll be sure to keep Jean as far away as possible until you return Logan to the medlab,” Hank assured Marie just before she entered Logan’s room.
With a wide grin on her face, Marie bounced into the “Logan’s been an idiot and needs to be put back together again” room. True to form, Logan had all but reduced the punching bag to ribbons and showed no signs of stopping.
“You ready for your surprise?” Marie asked after a few minutes when Logan showed no sign of acknowledging her presence.
Logan spun around quickly and was promptly knocked over by the swinging bag.
Marie took in her appearance, sans lab coat, then looked over at Logan who was staring at her with an open mouth. “You like?”
“I love,” Logan stammered, unable to take his eyes off her breasts which were barely encased in two minuscule triangles of transparent black silk. The thong she had on was made of the exact same material. It would have looked better with her black stilettos, but Marie hadn’t thought of that until she was changing into her bra and panties.
“Now, if you’ll follow me, I’ll lead you to your real surprise,” Marie said as she slipped back into the lab coat.
Taking Logan’s hand, Marie led him from his room and out into the main area of the medlab. Marie waved at Hank as they passed, grinning at Logan’s possessive growl when the fuzzy blue doctor smiled at her. With a roll of her eyes, Marie swatted Logan on the chest and continued towards the Danger Room.
“What, exactly, do you have planned for me?” Logan asked as Marie reached into one of the lab coat’s pockets and pulled out one of her silk scarves.
“I’m surprisin’ you,” Marie said as she stood up on tiptoe and tied the scarf around Logan’s head, effectively blocking his vision. She couldn’t contain a moan when Logan slipped his hands inside the lab coat and began tracing invisible patterns over her stomach with his fingertips. Dropping her head down onto his shoulder, Marie pressed a kiss against his sweat damp skin. “That’s cheatin’, babe. Now behave yourself or we won’t even get to the surprise.”
Pulling away from Logan, Marie led him into the Danger Room and into a vast forest complete with chirping birds, a breeze and a clinging humidity. In other words, paradise.
Marie guided Logan into the centre of her make believe forest, grinning as he began sniffing the air, trying to determine what exactly she had planned for him. “That’s cheatin’ too, Logan. Now knock it off. There are no powers to be used at any point in the proceedings.”
“Darlin’... Hey!” Logan shouted as Marie pushed him down onto the ground.
Shedding the lab coat, Marie lowered herself so that she was straddling Logan’s waist. Not for the first time, Logan’s insistence on wearing as little clothes as possible came in handy. He was wearing nothing but a pair of sweat pants and Marie used that to her advantage, stripping him in seconds.
As she crawled back up his body, Marie pressed a series of wet, open-mouthed kisses from his ankles up to the underside of his jaw, purposely avoiding his erection. Capturing his mouth in a passionate kiss, Marie lifted his head enough so that she could untie the impromptu blindfold.
Logan sunk his fingers into her hair, pulling her head back so that he could see her face. “Have I ever told you how much I love you, Marie?”
Marie smiled down at him, lovingly brushing some hair away from his face. “I think I’m getting the idea.”