A series by November

Chapter 30: Today is Her Birthday

"She lives in this house over there
Has her world outside it
Scrapples in the earth
with her fingers and her mouth
She's five years old..."

Rogue blew up balloons until her cheeks hurt. Weren’t there any mutants here who had super blowing powers?

It was Maggie’s fifth birthday, her second with Marie. She had baked and wrapped and prepared until she fell asleep, exhausted.

The tent in the yard was festooned with pink ribbons. Rogue brought down the cake, the grilling supplies, the presents.

By four the whole mansion was there. Storm grilled while the older kids played freeze tag with Maggie. Xavier surveyed it all with a happy smile on his face, until his cell phone rang.

"Damn." Storm said, handing her tongs over to Carter. She had seen enough of these calls to know what they meant.

"Aww, this sucks," Rogue said. "You guys go ahead, I’ll save some cake for you."

Logan was on the way down, gift in hand, when he heard the PA system. "Jean, Cyclops, Storm, Jubilee and Wolverine report to the map room ASAP."

In a half hour Xavier came back down, having dispatched his A team. "FoH?" Rogue asked.

"Humana. And the Klan." Xavier rubbed his temples. "I’m getting too old for this."

"Aww." Rogue rubbed his shoulders affectionately. "What can I get you to eat?"

"Surprise me." He grinned. She did, hoping she had done her mother’s potato salad recipe justice.

Though the air around the mansion developed the emotional reverb it always had when there was a mission going on, Rogue tried hard not to let it touch Maggie’s party. She tried especially not to think of Logan out there. She nixed the games in favor of opening presents. Maggie liked this. Rogue almost hated to see the pretty pile of presents disappear. They were beautiful, in shiny pastel papers with ribbons.

Maggie netted an ant farm from Hank, a yellow dress from Jubilee, and Barbie dolls from Xavier, who was savvy at picking up little-girl projections. She got books from Jean and Scott, an Imaginarium gift certificate from Storm, Monopoly from Carter, and a Big Wheel from Bobby. Maggie looked as happy as Marie had ever seen her and this made her feel warm and tight in her heart. She took lots of pictures.

That evening, after the sun set and they drove to the ice cream stand down the road, Rogue read Maggie her new stories. The rain began and pounded on the window.

"I love you, baby girl," she said, giving Maggie a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"I love you too, Momma."

"I’m so happy I found you."

"Me too."

"I’m so happy I’m your Mom."

"Me too."

Rogue gave Maggie five kisses in quick succession. "Good night, baby."

"Night, momma."

"You wanna sleep with Winnie the Pooh?"

"Yes please." Marie tucked the purple horse into bed with her.

"Sweet dreams, sugar."

There was a soft knock on her door. Good news about the mission, she hoped.

It was Carter. "I just saw Cyclops. Everyone’s back okay." He looked a bit shell-shocked. It was only his second mission.

"Thank god," she said. "Come on in."

"Okay. Logan got shot but he’s fine by the way."

It was a good thing Carter couldn’t see her face. She closed her eyes for a few seconds. Resisted the urge to run down to the medbay.

"You want somethin’ to drink, sug?"

He’d looked her and his adrenaline immediately turned to lust. "Naw. I do wanna nibble on you though."

They wound up in the bedroom, door locked, naked. He was kissing her hard and it felt so good but it didn’t feel right.

"Car?"

"Yeah."

"I don’t think we should have sex anymore."

"Okay." It was no secret to him how she felt about Logan. He could only guess that he was the reason why.

"I wanna do somethin’ for you though."

"Oh?"

"Yeah." She reached for him, circling him in her hand.

"Oooh." She squeezed tight, the way he liked it. He hissed. She quickened and finished him in her hand. Kissed his dazed lips. Then, she thought she heard someone at the door.