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“Ororo, Ororo.”

A deep male voice broke through her seemingly empty eyed gaze.

“Huhn,” she blinked, turning her head this way and that to center on the man standing just behind her, his hand on the railing as he leaned to her side. “Yes T’Challa.”
“Are you alright?” He asked, his free hand coming to rest on her shoulder. “You just walked out. Everyone was looking for you.”
“Everyone?”
“Ok, I was looking for you,” he leaned in to kiss her, his lips finding her forehead and she hung her head and turned slightly sideways.

“I just needed to get some fresh air,” she lied to him….well not completely.

Standing here for the last ten minutes, she was letting her mind wander, just as the rest of her wanted to…..as the rest of her could, had she not been feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders. That and the betrayed looks she got inside.

She had also stood here, a small part of her subconscious straining to hear a non-existent sound, a very specific sound, the sound of the rhythmic thump of a motorcycle engine. She had made her choice, one that both her mind and her heart, well the part that was left with her, seemed to agree with…..almost. Nevertheless, she had chosen, and now she should, she must stick by it. Otherwise, wouldn’t it put her in the same level, as Forge was when he first offered then withdrew his proposal to her?

‘But what about him? What about….?’ She squelched that thought, not able to even bear thinking his name now, afraid of the effect the mere name would have on her.

“Come, lets go in,” T’Challa’s words brought her to the present.

----

Entering through the balcony doors, her eyes immediately caught the piercing gaze of Laura X, the living weapon known as X23….HIS clone. Even if she was a female, the natural and incredibly lethal animal grace that was in her ‘genetic’ father or brother as they introduced themselves was all too clear in the closed off teenager. To someone seeing her for the first time, Laura would come across as aloof, almost snobbish….but not to anyone who had seen HIM all those years ago. That was yet another thing common in them, even in a room full of people, they someone managed to stand out.

On her side was the chatterbox of the X-family, Jubilee. Fiercely independent from day one, the seemingly shallow girl had not alone saved an X-Man’s life, but also managed to get under the skin and wiggle into the heart of probably the most guarded man alive. Their bond had stood the test of time, growing stronger with each passing year. Even now, even with her powers gone, she did not cower into the shadows, but stepped forwards her head held high, both for herself and for her Wolvie.

Catching sight of the girl….the woman Jubilee was talking to, Ororo’s heart skipped a beat. It was Kitty and she was staring right at her. What were they talking about? Where they talking about her? About HIM?

“Don’t worry, they haven’t told anyone….yet,” the silky smooth voice grated her nerves as Emma Frost came into view.
“Anything you want Emma?” Ororo looked down at the shorter, automatically squaring her shoulder and putting up the Goddess persona.
“Me!” A practiced surprised look was put on. “Nothing. I have all I want, whom I want. Pity that the same cannot be said for you.”

Not deeming the comment worth an answer, the regal soon to be queen, Storm started to walk away.

**All hail the queen.** Her eyes slammed shut at the parting remark telepathic sent to her.

-----

Later,

“Are you sure?” Kitty held the younger Jubilee’s hand in her own. One time rivals for HIS affection, both of them had settled their differences and made up years ago.
“Yeah,” Jubilee answered dryly.

“You know you could stay here for the night,” Kitty offered again.
“NO,” Laura’s response was instant. “Not now.”
“Ok,” nodded the older Shadowcat. “Wait, what do you mean, not now?”
“Nothing, nothing,” Jubilee stepped in, although too late from the way Kitty first looked at her, then Laura and then to the newly engaged Ororo.
“Jubilee, Laura,” she looked at both girls. She had noticed how the two girls were acting towards Ororo and by themselves. It was very different from the way they had been just a day ago when they had stayed over at the mansion. “What is the matter? Why wasn’t Logan here? Where has he gone now?”
“He….uh,” Jubilee tried to think of a proper excuse, one that would work against Kitty. Finding none, she finally relented. “We don’t know.”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOU DON’T KNOW?” Ororo and everyone else’s eyes snapped up at the sudden outburst.
“Whaht happened?” Asked Rogue being the closest to the trio, Remy instantly stepping to her side.
“What happened Katya?” Piotr interrupted his discussion with Hank to come towards them.
“They don’t know where Logan has gone to,” Kitty gestured towards Jubilee and Kitty, both of whom just wanted to disappear, or maybe grab Kitty and make her phase them through the ground or something.
“Jubilee? X23?” Scott looked at the two teenagers, his tone one demanding answer.
“We don’t know,” Jubilee quickly lost her hesitation, adopting a harder, detached tone. “He didn’t say. He was gone when we got home.”
“Jubilation, why didn’t you call us?” Inquired Henry.

“Like any of you cared,” Laura spat out. Although her words were spoken aloud, they were meant for just one person in the room. “We are leaving.”
“Not until you give an explanation, young lady?” Cyclops adopted the teacher tone. Sadly for him, with X23, it hadn’t worked in the past and sure as hell didn’t work this time.
“Yes,” Laura’s arms dropped to her sides. -SNIKT- “Now.”

“Come Laura,” Jubilee gently wound a hand around the snarling X, gently urging her towards the door. “Don’t call us, we’ll call you,” that and they were gone.

“Wasn’t that wonderful?” Emma chuckled. “A hackneyed display of adolescent outburst.”

---

“I am going to my room,” Ororo stood up, once both girls were out of the room.

Not waiting or listening to any comments or objections from anyone, including her fiancé, she walked out the other door, heading to her old room, the one where she lived before she moved out to the boathouse.

By the time she walked up the stairs to arrive at her destination, all her energy seemed to have seeped out.

‘Goddess, I should be happy,’ she thought to herself. ‘I have just….’

Her thoughts and her steps halted as she stepped into her room.

Lying there, at the foot of her bed….was a potted plant.

A plant she did not remember putting there, a plant that wasn’t supposed to exist….not anymore, one that had been a one of a kind…a mutant. It hadn’t been there the last time she left this room, four hours ago.

It had a thin stem, with just one flower….a flower just like the one she had given to HIM after his fiancée’s death, after Mariko’s death.

It had been a symbol of something unique, of hope, of their friendship, of their bond with each other.

A symbol that unknown to her, HE had cherished and even managed to keep alive…..a symbol that he had returned to her now.

Suddenly everything hit her. Seeing that single flower, the depth of emotions behind it; the truth behind it….everything.

If only….If only she had not run then….not run the second time….not lied to herself….not given up on love in a destined to be doomed effort to salvage a friendship that had led to that love…..if only.

Her knees giving out from under her, the Windrider fell to the ground, her emotional dams finally giving way. In her striving to not be like Forge, she had become like Jean, only worse. Jean too chose another over Wolverine, just as she had done. However, while Jean loved Scott truly and above the feral Logan, Ororo could not say the same for herself….not with complete confidence. In fact, she had the ‘Wolverine’s friend’ in her was still having a difficult time in keeping ‘his lover’ down.

Why? She could not say for sure. Why had she chosen T’Challa over Logan. Was it because she ‘beyond a doubt’, loved the Wakandan King more or was it just because he was the first to propose marriage. After all, she wasn’t the first and only one that T’Challa approached for marriage. There were others. Was he asking her to marry him out of his love for her, or was it just to fill the position some royal office. She wished she had given more thought, asked more questions about it. Now….now it was too late. Now she had accepted the marriage proposal…..she did not want to be as Forge was. She did not.

Lifting a hand towards the flower, towards the open space, towards where he had come and left from…..she cried out, her voice a choked whisper.

“I’m sorry Logan….I’m so sorry.”

-----

Almost two weeks later,

The Serengeti, the place where it all started….the place where two souls became one.

“Never let you go ‘Ro,” he growls at her ear, his body intimately joined with hers.
“Never, never Logan….never,” she returns back, her breathing and moves in harmony with his.

“Love you ‘Ro, Love you.”
“I love you too….my love…..”

--

Lost in his memories and dreams, a solitary figure sits in the darkness, his mind millions of miles away from everyone, from everywhere, from the Civil War going on around the world, a war he doesn’t want any part of, a war he will have be a part of….such his luck. It is only a matter of days now. However, until then…..he closes his eyes, trying to forget everything….to be happy. Just him, her and the memory of their night here.

“Love you ‘Ro.”
 

Note: I have a couple of ideas about this fic. both happy and sad. Until now, I tried to keep with the canon. From now onwards…..well, either wait until summer 2006 or…hmmm, point to think about!! Lets see if and when I continue with this fic. As yet, the plot is still 'somewhat' open.