THE BEST LAID PLANS
PART TWO
"So, I hear you fin’lly broke d’man down an’ got ‘im t’pop d’question, eh?"
"I did nothing of the sort Remy. I was not expecting this in the least."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. All you women got y’sneaky plans. Hunt us down like dogs, y’do."
"Thank you, that will be quite enough for now." She said with a laugh.
"Y’sure?"
"Very. You can explain to me the evils of women another time."
"I’ll hold ya to dat."
"To change the subject, where have you been?"
"Wit Jerri."
"How is she?"
"Great! She--" Remy stopped short when Jean entered the room.
"Hey, Jean. Uh, she be fine Stormy. I gotta be goin’. Got some stuff t’take care of. Congrats on de weddin’. Bye Jean."
"What was that all about?" Jean asked after Gambit’s hasty retreat.
"Oh-- nothing. Nothing to worry about, my friend."
* * * * *
"Ororo, Ororo! Look, look, look, look, look!"
Melissa Williams came flying through the front door of the Xavier estate waving a piece of paper.
"I got my license! A 97%! And I only lost points for parallel parking, but this is New York, who needs it!"
"That is wonderful Melissa." She was about to say something about the parallel parking, but decided to let it go.
"I gotta go tell Doc B.B. Bye!" (Note: B.B. = Blue Beast, Melissa’s nickname for Hank, it also stands for Blue Boy, Bouncing Boy, Big Blue, Bouncing Beast… you get the idea.)
"Wait, wait-wait!" Storm stopped Melissa as she was turning to run off again.
"Huh?"
"How would you like to be a bride’s maid?"
". . ." Frozen in her spot, Melissa, still staring wide-eyed at Ororo, let her precious papers slide from her hand.
"EEEEEEEEE!!!" Melissa threw herself at Ororo with a flying hug, similar to what Kitty had done, except that Melissa was not large enough to knock the two of them over—as Kitty had done.
"He did it??? You’re finally gonna do it?"
"Yes, we are getting married!"
"Yes! Finally!!!" She exclaimed hugging Storm again. "And I can be a bride’s maid?!"
"Of course."
"Oh! That’s soo cool! Uh, you’re not gonna make us wear that ugly frumpy chiffon stuff are you?"
Storm heavily dropped her head to the side.
"Okay, okay! Stupid question. Oh, this is turning out to be such a cool day!!! {Sigh} I gotta go see the Doc. This is sooo good!" She gave Ororo a quick peck on the cheek and another squeeze.
"Alright. Oh! Jubilee has been looking for you."
"Uh, oh."
"What?"
"Well, either she found out about me borrowing her leather jacket, or she wants to talk to me about joining the Red Team again. She’s really taking this leadership thing seriously."
"As she should. You are seriously considering joining?"
"I don’t know. I mean, I’m interested. . . but I want to be a doctor. And I know I can be both. . . but mom. . ." Melissa shrugged. "You know—she worries. I think I’m gonna wait a few years; see what happens."
"A wise choice."
"Yeah, I thought so." She grinned and gave a wink. "See ya!"
Melissa turned and saw Jubilee standing at the top of the stairs.
"YOU!!! WHERE—IS—MY—JACKET????
"EEP."
* * * * *
A month and a half later, wedding plans were flowing along nicely. . . well, as nicely as could be expected. Weddings among the X-Men were a rare occurrence, so when one was planned, it was as thought they were planning for the royal family. Everyone was falling over each other with ideas to make the day, more special, more extravagant, more unforgettable. Ororo and Rafe just wanted a normal wedding. But if their perspective families had anything to do with it, that would never happen.
Needing a break from all the mayhem indoors, Storm decided to take a casual walk through the forest behind the mansion. The sky was overcast and the breeze was cool—not her doing. Ororo rubbed her hands up and down her arms.
"What’s buggin’ ya darlin’?"
Ororo looked up, in the direction from which the rough voice had come. Wolverine was perched comfortably on the branch of a large oak.
"Cold breezes are supposed to have the opposite affect on ya. So what’s on yer mind?"
Ororo smiled. "I fear you may know me a little too well, my friend." She used her winds to lift her up. She joined the older man on the branch.
"So, what is it?"
"I—do not know. I should be elated. But. . . I have. . . Oh, I am just being paranoid. It is nothing."
"Spill it, girl."
". . . I have this feeling. . . an apprehension. . . something bad is going to happen. {Sigh} Pre-wedding jitters. That is all it is. . . But. . ." She shook her head.
"Your feelin’s ‘ve been pretty accurate in the past darlin’. Don’t dismiss ‘em so easy."
"I suppose. What do you think about all of this, Logan?"
"All o’ what?"
"The wedding. I know, you gave Rafe your blessing as it were, but I want you tell me how you feel."
"Why?"
"Because, you are one of my closest and best friends. Your opinion is important to me."
Logan scratched his chin. "Darlin’, all I want is fer you t’be happy. Rafe’s a good man, they don’t come much better." He nodded slightly as though he were thinking to himself. "He’ll be good for you. This weddin’s a good thing. You deserve it."
"Thank you, Logan."
They were silent for several minutes.
"This time two weeks from now, I will be married. Married. I will be someone’s wife. I was beginning to think that only Scott and Jean were afforded such a pleasure."
"I’m just dying t’see if Gumbo can pull off this best-man thing." They laughed.
"He will be fine, Logan."
"You ain’t worried ‘bout the kind o’ bachelor party he’s plannin’ for Rafe."
"No. I simply refuse to think about it."
"Ha! That’ll work."
"And I will leave you in charge of making sure Rafe behaves himself."
"Oh, no! You ain’t pinnin’ that on me! Ask Cyke or Sam t’ do that. My job is to make sure the man enjoys himself, before he walks that last mi—I mean before he goes down the isle."
"You!" Ororo punched Wolverine in the arm as response to that obvious shot at her.
"What? What I say?"
* * * * *
‘The Pretty one, with her pretty dress, for her pretty wedding to her pretty man. Hmm, I think this dress needs some tailoring.’
"You move one inch more towards that dress and I’ll show you what sharpened bones can really do."
"Aw, but then you’d be getting blood all over the pretty one’s room—and the dress. Be a real shame too. Kinda ruin the whole wedding, don’t ya think."
Marrow playfully waved one of her bone knives dangerously close the delicate dress, hanging on the mirror. The arrogant smile on her face slowly faded when she heard the low rumbling growl growing from the back of Wolverine’s throat. She had heard this sound only once before, and though she would never admit it, it scared the hell out of her. It meant she had gone one step too far. Keeping her poker face on, she shrugged and began to walk away. "Cheep fabric. Not worth dulling a perfectly good bone on."
"My sentiments exactly." Logan commented as she moved past him. She walked with a brave face and posture, but Wolverine could smell the fear on her. He could hear the increase in her hear rate and breathing. "And Sara," he added without turning around to face her. "You do anything—and I mean anything to wreck this for Storm. . ."
{SLAM}Marrow shut the door to the room behind her.
"Glad we have an understanding."