ALL MY LIFE
PART THREE
[Note: ~words~ means the people are speaking in Japanese]
Okay, I think it’s about time for our mystery guest to check in.
Rafe had been walking through the Asian market place picking up odds and ends, for over an hour now. He noticed he had acquired an extra shadow about twenty minutes back. He almost didn’t notice the short stocky man at all, as his tailing skills were exquisite. Rafe had been trying to figure out what the man wanted to no avail. It was time for a more direct approach.
He entered a small spice shop and moved through the isles. After a few minutes, the shorter man entered. He immediately began rubbing his nose with the back of his hand, and looked like he was attempting to hold back a sneeze.
Rafe walked up behind the man, who for the first time appeared to be having trouble locating him.
"Allergies?"
The man spun around suddenly and narrowed his eyes. "Something like that."
"Wanna tell me why you’ve been following me?"
The shorter man straightened up. "Impressive. Not many’d be able to notice."
"Thanks." Rafe replied flatly.
The short man sneezed violently.
"Mind if we get the hell outta here? These herbs are killin’ me."
A light bulb went off in Rafe’s head.
"Logan-san desu nee."[Japanese – "You’re Logan, right?"]
Logan nodded then pointed to the door. "~Fresh air. Now.~"
The two men left the shop. Logan shook his head to clear it and let out another sneeze. "~Ever inhaled a bottle of pepper? Similar experience.~" He said, referring to effect the exotic spice shop had on his mutant enhanced senses.
"~Sorry, haven’t had the pleasure. So why the shadow?~"
"~Wasn’t plannin’ on it. I passed you some blocks back and picked up Storm’s scent on ya. It was fresh, so I figured you must be the guy she’s been seein’.~"
The nine-day-old couple had spent the morning together at the Salem Center Mall. Ororo had been kind enough to help Rafe shop for a gift for his eldest niece Melissa’s thirteenth birthday. She was too old for Barbie and too young (as far as Rafe was concerned) for make up and boys. He was at a complete loss as to what to buy. Ororo had helped him settle on a fashionable jacket with two front row tickets to next months Backstreet Boys concert safely tucked away in the pocket.
"~And your curiosity got the better of you.~"
"~Not, curiosity really. More. . . over protectiveness.~" Logan stopped walking and faced Rafe. "We’re all real protective of Ororo. We don’t like t’see her hurt. Makes us kinda. . . mad. . . you get me?"
"I get you. Don’t worry about it. I wouldn’t— couldn’t hurt Ororo for anything in the world."
"That’s good. I’d hate to have to turn you into shish-ka-bob and ruin my nice manicure."
"Uh, yeah."
A group of children, playing, ran around and between the two men, nearly toppling them, a passing yell of ‘Sorry’ flew back at them on the wind.
"~So,~" Rafe continued, after they’d regained their balance. "~How’d you learn the language?~" Ororo had told him Logan could speak several languages, including Japanese, but he was surprised at the naturalness and fluidity of his delivery.
"~Decades of practice, and livin’ over there for a while. You?~"
"~My mother’s Japanese. I grew up speaking it.~"
"~What’s her name?~"
"Natsuko."
"Natsuko Wallace?!?"
Rafe laughed. "Yeah, she hates it too. But she loved my dad."
* * * * *
"My mother wants to meet you."
"What?"
"My mother wants to meet you."
"Why?"
"Because she’s a mother."
"Is this not rather. . . soon?"
"Afraid?"
"Of course not!-- Well. . ."
Rafe laughed and kissed Storm on her forehead. They were sitting on the steps of the back porch of the mansion. They’d been together three weeks now. To Ororo, it felt much longer than that. She had not been this content in a long time. It was as though she had found a part of herself she did not know was missing.
"I suppose it is only fair. You have met my family." After his meeting with Wolverine, Storm had introduced Rafe to the rest of the X-Men, least this stocking trend continue.
"And I assure you there is far less risk in meeting mine. Well, unless my mother doesn’t like you. She may not have claws or eye beams, but she can throw a pretty good butcher’s knife."
"Oh, thank you. I feel much better now."
"Don’t worry about it Arashi. [Japanese –"Storm" (Rafe’s nickname for her.)] She’s gonna love you. I wouldn’t have told her about you otherwise."
"You are in the habit of hiding women from your mother?"
"Only the ones I’m not sure about. No sense in getting the family involved, if I’m not feeling serious about the woman."
Storm smiled inwardly at this.
"Tell you what?" He said after a moment of silence. "Why don’t you come with me to Melissa’s party on Saturday. The whole family will be there so mom won’t be able to use the knives. After all, you’re responsible for the gifts."
"The whole family now? Rafe, I have never done anything like this before."
"From what the others tell me, you’ve never been one to back down from a challenge."
"Wonderful, now you are using inside information against me."
"Better believe it."
"Did I even have a choice here?"
"Nope."
"Then I would love to attend."
* * * * *
"What is wrong Remy?"
Storm was sitting in the rec. room reading a book. Gambit had entered looking preoccupied.
"Jus’ had a meetin’ wit Cyclops."
"That cannot be good."
"Wasn’t. Been hearin’ whispers dat d’Mauraders be back in town."
"Goddess! Are you certain?"
He sat down in a chair nest to her position on the couch. "Yes an’ no. D’folks dat be whisperin’ ain’t ‘xactly d’most reputable, know what I mean."
She nodded.
"Still, d’stories be comin’ more constant, an’ dey growin’. Tol’ Cyclops ‘bout it an’ he tell me t’keep an ear open. He gonna be puttin’ Cerebro on alert."
"Good. How do you feel about this Remy?"
"Y’all know evert’ng ‘bout my dealin’s wit dem, but. . . still, d’old fear’s still dere. Dat dere’s somethin’ dat dey c’n still use against me. Or dat somehow, dey be able t’use me ‘gainst you. Still ‘fraid dat. . ."
"That we would send you away? My friend, everyone has learned from this experience. It was wrong that you were left in Antarctica, and the entire team knows that. We understand that you are not the man you were then, indeed, you are not the same man you were when you first came to this mansion." She touched his hand. "Black sheep or no Remy, you are a part of this family. We are resigned to be stuck with you."
"You to good t’me Stormy."
"That may change if you continue to call me by that ridiculous name."
"Should I maybe call you Arashi?" He asked sarcastically.
He was answered by a short jolt of electricity.
‘Mental note: "Arashi" is d’red button.’
* * * * *
"I. . . do. . . believe. . . I am going. . . quite. . . mad."
Jean, Rogue and Celia burst out laughing at Storm’s calmly laid out statement. The ladies were situated in Storm’s attic apartment. Storm was trying on her seventh outfit, for the meeting of Rafe’s family. At present, she was staring glumly at the dark green dress she wore, in the full-length mirror.
"I have stood in the presence of Empresses, kings, queens, devils, even Gods. Why does it frighten me so to meet one simple little old woman?"
"Because, you care about Rafe." Jean said, holding another of Storms dresses against herself.
"And he is very close to his mother." Storm finished. "Perhaps the blue dress. . ."
"Storm, you look beautiful! You look beautiful in everything!" Celia stressed. "I could kill you." She added, quietly.
Storm dropped into a chair. Jean sat on Rogue, who was sprawled out on her stomach on Storms bed.
"Comfy Sugah?"
"Very. Storm, just how serious are you about this guy. Emotionally you’ve gone from zero to ninety in record speed."
"I am just as surprised as you are Jean. After. . . Forge, I swore to myself that I would be more cautious with whom I gave my heart to. But with Rafe. . . every sense in my body is telling me that this is right. That he will not let me down. That he will. . ." Ororo stopped herself there, not permitting the words to pass her lips.
Rogue sat up, sending Jean rolling into Celia, who was sitting at the other end of the bed. "Does he feel the same way ‘bout you?"
". . . I do not know. I believe so."
"Then, I suggest ya find out f’sure, before go getting yer heart stomped again."
Storm sighed and looked towards the window.
"Definitely the blue dress."