Different Messages

There are things that cannot be undone, no matter how hard one tries. Sitting in the small cell and guarded by three cops he could have easily taken a day before, Logan wished for once that it wasn't true. He sat still, head in his hands, listening as Scott's clipped steps grew louder.

Scott had been the one to answer the phone, and though it had taken some work, he'd promised to come without letting anyone know.

"What happened?"

"None of your business."

Scott's jaw clenched and he sucked in a breath. Whatever he wanted to say was replaced with a tight, angry "Logan."

Logan shifted, leaning back before standing and moving toward the bars that separated him from Scott. "Did you bring paper?"

"Logan, I can't help you if you won't tell me what happened."

"Nothing happened."

"That's bullshit. You're in jail, a mutant jail, so you must have done something to be put there."

"Where's the paper?"

Scott glared at him for a moment and then reached into a jacket pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen. Logan snatched it from him, giving Scott a glimpse of bloody and unhealed knuckles. He wrote for a moment, scrawling hastily, before folding it in half and shoving it back at Scott.

"Give that to Rogue."

"She'll come after you."

"No, she won't."

"She has before, Logan—"

"This isn't before."

"Logan—"

"Make sure she's happy and she gets married."

Scott's head jerked slightly. "What?"

"She can't fucking wait forever," Logan snarled. "I'm not getting out of here any time soon, and she fucking deserves better anyway."

"Logan, whatever happened—"

"I'm dealing with it."

"You're sitting in jail! How is that dealing with it?"

"Fuck, you're dense." Logan sneered at Scott through the bars, but didn't elaborate.

Scott opened his mouth, but Logan turned his back on him. Scott stood for a moment before giving up and leaving.

Rogue's face blanched before her cheeks flushed a dark red, her eyes darkening dangerously.

"Rogue—"

"Fucking bastard," she snarled. "Fucking coward. Can't fucking face me." She slammed the note into Scott's chest, pushing him back a few steps. "You tell him when you see him that the next time I see him, I'm gonna suck him fucking dry."

She stormed from the room, scattering junior X-Men in her wake.

Scott smoothed out the note and hesitated a moment before reading it.

Kid—

About things—They got out of hand. I'm not looking for a relationship.

Logan.

END


Author's Note: This fic was written for the third Inspiration fic challenge.

Inspired by the Everly Brothers' Take a Message to Mary.

Take a Message to Mary

These are the words of a frontier lad
Who lost his love when he turned ba-ad

Take a message to Mary but don't tell 'er where I am
Take a message to Mary but don't say I'm in a jam
You can tell her I had to see the world or tell 'er that my ship set sail
You can say she better not wait for me but don't tell her I'm in jail
Oh, don't tell her I'm in jail

Take a message to Mary but don't tell 'er what I've done
Please don't mention the stagecoach and the shot from a careless gun
You can tell her I had to change my plans and cancel out the wedding day
But please don't mention my lonely cell where I'm gonna pine away
Until my dying day

Take a message to Mary but don't tell 'er all you know
My heart's achin' for Mary, Lord knows I miss her so
Just tell her I went to Timbuktu, tell her I'm searchin' for gold
You can say she better find someone new to cherish and to hold
Oh, Lord, this cell is cold

Ma-ary, Ma-a-a-a-ary
Oh, Lord this cell is cold