She had been on the road for 5 months when they first heard about the girl who could kill with a touch. It was another 3 before they were finally able to track her down. Cerebro was no help due to the mess in her head.

Cody may have been the first but in those eight months he proved not to be the last. A young, pretty girl alone on the road, she might as well have painted a bullseye on the back of her green cloak. They were different people for different reasons in different towns but one thing was constant; the look they gave her when realized they weren't going to walk away. Just for a moment, just in the instant her mutation kicked in, they each had a look of pure surprise.

She often wondered about the shock felt by those that wanted to take from her; take her body, take her dignity, take her life, and instead were taken by her, into her.

When they found her they didn't talk of solidarity or camaraderie, they didn't offer school or friends her own age, they didn't even pretend that they were offering her a normal life. What they did offer was the one thing she wouldn't turn down.

Sanctuary.

So she went, and they succeed in getting a dangerous mutant off the street. She told them her name was Rogue and she pretended the other her never existed.

She was given a room away from the others where she could be alone with the multitudes in her head. She became invisible, a part of the foundation itself. She learned the benefit of stillness, silence, and observation. She spent her days watching and learning about the mansion, its inhabitants and their secrets.

She hardly slept, it was in her dreams where those in her head spoke the loudest. It was during these times when she would go to the lower levels and work herself to an exhausted, dreamless sleep. She would run through the exercises she saw the students being taught until they became second nature. This is how Scott found her.


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The way Scott saw it, the mansion, its students, and the x-men were his responsibility. They were his purpose, they were his life. Rogue wasn't invisible to Scott, he was aware of her wandering and her stillness. He noticed the evidence of her workouts but had chosen not to intrude on her nighttime rituals. Her comfort lay in her solitude and he wasn't about to take that away from her.

But Scott had his own thoughts keeping him awake at night. Magneto was up to something, something big, but they didn't know what or where or when or how. It drove him from his bed and to the lower levels looking for his own release. And then there she was, doing the moves his students struggled with, with ease, grace and an undercurrent of ferocity. He stood there captivated at her skill.

Rogue sensed eyes watching her and turned quickly, crouched low, braced for an attack. Her eye's caught Scott's visor and held for a moment as she registered his surprise. The same surprise seen on the faces of those she'd taken from. She stood and dropped her eyes feeling the weight of those memories and resentment that her peace had been shattered.

Scott took another moment to come to terms with what he had seen. When her eyes looked into his he knew he was looking at a warrior and wondered at the sudden change when she broke contact.

“Come with me Rogue”

They left the room and she followed him down the hallway in silence. They stopped at a door she had not been able to enter on her previous trips.

Danger Room

“You see a lot Rogue, more than anyone would give you credit for. I see a lot too. I understand what brings you down here, what drives you to work yourself until you can't even think. I can tell you don't believe me, our mutations aren't the same but that doesn't mean they aren't similar. Mine scared the shit out of me when it manifested, at Prom no less. You hurt people when you touch them. I kill people when I look at them. I killed people when I blew the roof off that gym, I killed people every time I opened my eyes. I lived blind in a mental hospital for a year before I came here.”

She'd seen his mutation at work, seen the red beam that was emitted.

“Does it hurt?"

The question gave Scott pause and he looked closer at the girl in front of him.

“Every time, like fire.” Sighing he ran a hand through his hair. “I still don't have control, if I had control I wouldn't see everything in red, people would be able to look into my eyes.”

“What color are they?”

Again Scott considered the woman named Rogue and how many people had ever actually asked him that particular question.

“Like I said, you see a lot." He made a gesture encompasing the whole lower level, her question unanswered. "Do you know what we do here? Who we are?”

“X-Men.”

Scott gave her a wry smile but chose not to comment on her conversational style. Instead he motioned toward the door.

“This is where we do our serious training. I have decided to give you access. The only catch is that every once in awhile I want to work with you and check on your progress.”

“Are you asking me to join up?”

“No, maybe down the road but right now it's simply another avenue to help you work through things.”

They entered the room together and Scott spent the rest of the night teaching Rogue how everything worked and how to load the different levels of the training programs. While she continued to speak in mostly one word answers and short sentences it was obvious she was listening attentively and taking everything in.

As they went their separate ways in the early hours of the morning Scott stopped Rogue as she was about to turn down to her room.

“Rogue, what about you? Does it hurt?”

For a second she didn't move, didn't even seem to breath. Scott thought she wouldn't answer then she turned and met his eyes.

“Every time.”

She walked around the corner and out of sight.


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As time passed Scott worked with Rogue in the Danger Room. Though the conversation was limited they came to be comfortable with each others company. Though Rogue never opened up she seemed to find peace in the exchanges. Scott did enough talking for the both of them. He spoke of the other members of the team, of the professor, of the missions they have had and what he was planning.

As her skill level improved, one by one he had the other team members came to the late night sessions. First to observe Rogue and then to train and fight beside her. They had their reservations about the silent girl with the watchful eyes but they trusted their leader and felt that they would come to trust Rogue as well. It was only a matter of time before she became an X-Man.


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A month after her X-Man status was official they got a break concerning Magneto. Rogue made her way to the lower levels for the meeting and contemplated her life at the mansion. She had needed the sanctuary when she first arrived. But Scott was right when he told her she could also use another outlet. That was what the team was to her, a way to channel her thoughts and her energy. She would worry about control over her skin later, at this point it was control over her mind that she wanted.

She entered the danger room and gave Strom a slight smile as she sat. She had no friends among the students and wouldn't quite put the other X-Men in that category either, but they were teammates. You couldn't fight beside someone unless you trusted them and she had come to trust the members of this team.

She was most comfortable with Scott but Storm, out of sync with her name, was a calming presence. They had gotten even closer when she shared the story of her mutation's manifestation.

“There was a drought that year. The Kenyan soil was cracked and parched. I was a child, not more than 12. My hair has always been white and children can be cruel, sometimes frighteningly so. The children of my village were playing a tagging game involving sticks. I was trying to play as well but I was shunned by them. The game they were playing turned into something else, something darker. They circled me and I became the game. They began to hit me with the sticks, laughing and taunting me all the while. I folded myself into a ball and prayed for it to stop. As I lay there snow began to fall on Africa. At first the children along with the villagers danced and laughed, but the snow turned to hail and they had to run for cover as it began to fall with more force. The hail got bigger and bigger, it battered the villagers, stamped out their crops, and destroyed their shelters. I was to weak to move after what the children had done, I couldn't run for shelter, but I didn't need to. As I lay out there I was not hit once, I was protected and I knew that I was the cause, that I had done it. They knew too.”

Rogue had studied Storm's face as she finished her story. There was a great mix of emotion, pain, regret, sadness, and something she couldn't identify, something she was drawn to because she recognized it as what she sometimes sees on her own

Shaking herself out of her introspection Rogue gave her full attention to the Professor.

“We have not yet discovered what Magneto's ultimate plans are, however, we have found out that he is after a mutant named Wolverine. Cyclops and Storm you will travel to Alaska to intercept this man. Hopefully we will reach him before Magneto and discover why he is valuable and what purpose he is hoped to serve.”

That night the Wolverine came to the X Mansion.


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“Didn't quite go how you planned huh?” Scott and Rogue were in the training room talking about the new arrival. He had woken, threatened Jean, and ran frantically around the school before finding the professor and agreeing to some tests.

“Uh no not exactly. But we made it back OK and he's here in one piece even if we don't know what Magneto wants with him.”

“What is his mutation?”

“He heals, he has sharper than normal senses, and he has metal inside of him.”

“Metal? That doesn't seem natural.”

“Well he doesn't have memories about how or when it happened. Or any memories at all really. At least, he's not sharing anyway. Who really knows his story?” Scott's frustration was evident.

“You don't trust him.”

It wasn't a question but he answered it,“No, but the professor seems to and we need him, that's enough for me right now.”

“Where is he?”

“Jean is showing him to his room, in your hallway as a heads up. Sorry but I didn't want to put him near the students.” He sighed heavily, “I should go on up and check on things. I'll see you tomorrow.”

Rogue finished her workout, changed and walked through the darkened mansion to her room. She hadn't given much more thought to the newest addition until she reached her hallway and heard sounds of distress coming from the room down the hall from hers.

She wasn't going to stop, she had no thoughts to intrude. But the sounds were of a deep agony and she felt compelled to knock and then enter. As she looked down at his tossing and turning form she felt a stirring of compassion at the obvious mental anguish that he was in. Gently she shook his sheet covered shoulder and called his name. Softly at first but then with more vigor.

It happened quickly, too quickly to even know that something was happening at all. He was sitting upright and three metal claws were buried deep into her torso. His eyes were open, his senses ready for combat. He was searching for the threat but all he saw was her.

She opened her mouth, to speak or to scream he didn't know which and neither, really, did she. He sheathed his claws and grabbed her to hold her upright.

“Somebody, please help.” It was a whisper the first time, a shout the next, and the next, and the next.

In her mind she suddenly knew the answer to the question she hadn't been quite sure of since she first knew she was a mutant. She wanted to live.

She reached out a hand and gently laid it against his face, as if it was the last thing she wanted to touch in this life. There was no surprise, no shock, when she began to take what she needed, instead she saw recognition.

After only a few seconds her wounds had healed and she let him fall back onto the floor. She turned and saw the help he had called for was there, now for him instead of her.

“I'm sorry, it was an accident.”

She stumbled from the room and they quickly made a path for her.

She spent the next day in the Danger Room fighting her demons with a rage and power she had not possessed the day before. She fought simulation after simulation until Scott came to tell her that Wolverine was awake. And then she ran.

Wolverine woke up in the med lab. Again. He still felt weak which was so unusual he simply kept still and took stock of the situation. It had been a hell of a couple of days. He'd been in his cabin, minding his own business, when a big ugly, smelly, burly mother-fucker decided to bust in on him and ended up stealing his dog tag. He was almost more upset at the missing tag than getting his ass kicked. Then he wakes up in a hospital room with some crack-pots telling him that some other crack-pots are out to get him. The lady doctor is pretty good looking so he goes along, takes some tests and agrees to stay the night. And what happens? He wakes up with a kid-ka-bob and nearly gets killed. He didn't think anything could kill him, though not for want of trying that's for damn sure.

“So Wolverine I see you have joined us again.”

“What the hell did that kid do to me Chuck?”

“Rogue is a beautiful girl with an extraordinary gift. Her skin has the ability to suck the life force out of other living beings. In the case of mutants it appears she also takes their gifts for a time. She used your healing power to repair the damage done to her.”

“It felt like she was killing me.”

“If she had held on any longer she would have.”

Heaving himself up Wolverine began to disconnect himself from the monitors.

“All right Chuck this is my cue to leave. Thanks for the good times.”

“Wolverine I won't stop you but I don't think that is the most wise course of action.”

“Well it's my course, I do better on my own and I ain't getting involved with you any further.”

As he began walking out of the door he paused and looked back. “Tell the kid I'm sorry.” and then he was gone.


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Rogue didn't have a plan or a destination when she ran out the door. She just knew that she had to get away from the mansion. Her sanctuary had been breached. She'd had to use her skin again. She had almost begun to believe that she wouldn't have to do it ever again that she was safe from that at the mansion. Isn't that why she stayed? She had no one to blame but herself, what had possessed her to enter his room? Compassion? Wasn't that beat out of her in the eight months on the road?

She had almost begun to believe that she didn't miss touching, that she didn't miss the feel of contact and connection with another person. She had come to realize too much, and the mansion no longer felt safe.

She approached the edge of the grounds and leaned her head against a tree. A feeling of anger and helplessness welled up inside of her, it built up until she had to let it out. She began to scream, primal screams, as she beat the tree with her gloved hands.

“WHY! WHY! WHAT PURPOSE DOES IT SERVE!”

She yelled and she cried and she raged and when it was over she was calm. She leaned against the tree and closed her eyes. She had never let herself go like that, not even when she first manifested. She has always been about control, suppression, she had never allowed herself the comfort of tears. She realized now what she had been missing. She hadn't really even taken time to try to process the newest member of her brain club. Sliding down the tree into the lotus position she decided to deal with it now.

She was exploring the sensory powers when she heard it. Off to the left someone was approaching. She focused herself and could hear breathing, footsteps against the ground, the beating of a heart. It was getting louder and louder until she gasped and opened her eyes. He was right in front of her.

“Hi Logan.”

“How do you know my name?”

“A left over, I get other stuff besides powers. Thoughts and feelings, sometimes memories.”

“Hm.”

“I'm sorry.”

“Me too.”

Logan was extremely ill at ease. He was just trying to get the hell out of dodge when he heard someone screaming as if they were being tortured. He searched it out only to find the one person he was hopping to avoid. He remembered too well the feeling of getting his life sucked out. He also remembered the instant of recognition between them, and that made him more uneasy than being within touching distance of the only person to get close to killing him.

“I'm just tired of hurting people.”

“Well I don't hurt too easy.”

Silence descended. He wondered if he could just walk away. Normally he would have, rudeness be damned, but this girl, whether he liked it or not, struck a cord with him.

“What kind of name is Rogue anyway?”

“Marie.”

At the admission Logan looked at her questioningly.

“I know yours, it's only fair. I would appreciate it if you didn't spread it around. She doesn't really exist anymore. I hardly remember my life before anyway.”

"I don't remember my life at all."

The silence suddenly wasn't awkward anymore and Logan didn't have anywhere else he wanted to be. Logan and Marie, Wolverine and Rogue shared a look in that moment. Neither of them would define it but it was a look filled with a loneliness only the other could understand. They held it for a long moment when a voice in the distance broke the spell.

“Wolverine!”

Rogue looked sharply to the right and stood. “It's Jean. Why would she come searching, why not have the professor contact you telepathically?”

“Wolverine there you are, could you come with me please you are needed.”

“Sure Jean, hey why don't you tell Rogue what we were talking about last night.”

Jean just gave him a blank look.

“You know, about women.”

“I'm sorry Wolverine, I don't remember what you're referring to.”

Just then, with a startled gasp from Marie, Logan unsheathed his claws and ran towards Jean.

“About how no two women smell alike.”

Suddenly Jean morphed into a great beast and engaged Wolverine. Wolverine had the upper hand but as Rogue looked on he was suddenly immobilized by an unseen force. He was frozen in mid air as Magneto emerged from the wood.

“I've been looking for you Wolverine.”

“What the hell do you want with me?”

“Not you my dear boy, that glorious metal of yours. I will find much use for that.” Just then he turned toward Rogue. “Damn, witnesses, can't have that.”

“Rogue, No! Don't touch her.”

But it was too late, with a flick of his wrist a syringe sank itself into her neck and she slumped to the ground. “Don't worry I have one for you too Wolverine.” And for the third time in as many days Wolverine was unconscious.

Magneto turned to Mystique, “call the others tell them we've got what we came for.”


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Rogue awoke sometime later, weak and stiff and made her way back to the mansion at as much of a run as she could manage. Bursting through the front door she began calling for the X-Men. They were nowhere above so she ran to the lower levels. They were all in the med lab, two beds had been taken. One by Professor Xavier and the other was a resemblance of Senator Kelly, whom she recognized from television.

She searched Scott's face.

"What has happened?"

"Someone tampered with Cerebro causing damage to the professor's mind, Senator Kelly has been turned into a mutant and it's killing him. Magneto wants the metal inside Wolverine to power a machine that will do the same thing to millions of humans."

"Magneto no longer wants Wolverine, he has him. We were attacked in the woods. It's been hours since he took him."

Scott's face got even more grim as he considered the ramifications. "Storm you stay with Senator Kelly, the rest of us will get organized, we're going to go get him."


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Logan came to and tried to take in his surroundings. He felt weak and could barely think coherently. The room he was in was small and oddly shaped but he couldn't get his bearings to stand, his hands were manacled behind his back and he struggled to free himself. In the midst of his struggles a cool voice sounded from behind.

"Ah so glad to see that you're up, wouldn't want to sleep through the encore of creation would you. Not much longer now."

"What are you going to do?"

"In the road to survival, there is always sacrifice Wolverine. We are the future not them. We must protect ourselves. After tonight, when the leaders of the world return home -- They will return as brothers, as mutants... and our cause will be theirs. This is survival, I know you understand that. Three minutes to curtain."

With that he was gone.


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As the X-Men emerged from the jet they spotted Magneto at the top of the statue concentrating on the bottom of the torch. Through Storm's dense fog they saw the air ripple with magnetic energy as -- the cap-like end piece of the torch began to vibrate. The metal groaned and twisted free, dropping to the ground, revealing Wolverine. The team leaped out of the way as it crashed at their feet.

Wolverine looked around as he realized that he had been inside the torch of the Statue of Liberty. As he looked toward Ellis Island, and got a clear idea as to what Magneto's plans were, he increased his struggles to free himself.

The X-men entered the museum at the base of the Statue and spread out in hopes of getting up quickly. They soon realized that Magneto was aware of his company when the remaining lights in the museum went out, leaving the team in total darkness.

Later Rogue could recall very little of what followed after the darkness fell.

"Rogue...run."..."Don't you people ever die!"..."Jean! Stop moving. Trust me, Don't move!"..."Do you know what happens to a toad when it is struck by lightening?"..."Scream for me."

As they fought Magneto rose the machine up and into the bottom of the torch itself, as it drew nearer to Wolverine his struggles turned to rage. He popped his claws and worked frantically to cut at his bindings. As the machine settled in place the Wolverine was finally able to free himself.


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Inside Rogue ran toward the museums exit that lead to the entrance of the stairs that would, hopefully, lead her to Logan. She was breathing heavily as she groped along the wall as she tried to orient herself and find the door. Suddenly she turned her head, her senses going alert. Someone was approaching.

Taking a calming breath Rogue removed her gloves and readied herself. Still she was not prepared for who turned the corner.

"Sorry kid, didn't mead to startle ya. You OK?"

"Wolverine?! Thank God!"

"Didn't think they would hold me for long did ya? Come on, lets go help the others."

He extended a hand.

Rogue looked at his hand for a moment then up at Wolverine. "Logan?"

"Let's go Rogue."

She took his hand.


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Wolverine freed from his bonds was about to jump from the torch when the air around him seemed to thicken, and he was yet again immobilized.

"Sorry my dear boy, won't be that easy."

Looking down from his stasis Logan could see inside a hole that had been created in the Statue's head. The X-Men would not be saving him as they were all bound by metal bonds.

"Storm blast him."..."I've seen Senator Kelly."..."The experiment was a failure."..."Why can't you see what I am trying to do?"

Magneto turned his full attention to Wolverine as magnetic waves thrust him back through the air and into the center of the sphere on top of the machine.


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With a slight motion of his wrist the rings started revolving just as it did with Kelly, back at the lair. Spinning slowly, then gaining in speed. The air around it rippled, gaining in intensity.

Magnetic energy poured from Magneto's hands toward the machine, behind him Jean and Storm watched helplessly.

The rings began spinning around Logan at such a speed, the rings themselves were no longer visible -- merely a blur around the still Wolverine.

Wolverine roared in unthinkable pain, his skeleton began to glow through his skin. His eyes looked down, through the hole in the Statue's head, searching for Marie.

The deafening whine became louder and louder.

Magneto watched with triumph at the incredible displays as magnetic energy flowed from his hands charging the machine.

As the rings continued to spin Mystique emerged from the stairwell behind Magneto. Her eyes wide with awe.

"Ahh, there you are. It is almost fully charged. Keep an eye on the others." His voice was strained with the effort of exerting so much power.

Mystique walked slowly toward Magneto. The others watched the torch in horror.

Jean tried to reach out to Mystique. "Please do something, that machine kills people, you have to stop him!"

Mystique, ignoring Jean, stepped behind Magneto. She looked up and saw Logan staring back in agony.

"Please...do something!"

Mystique placed her hand comfortingly on Magneto's back. "Don't listen to her," she said, "it's a trap."

Magneto turned slightly, "What is?"

"This is."

Mystique grabbed the sides of his face and kissed him fully, deeply.

Time seemed to stop for a moment until Magneto began to convulse. Once, then again. Then he began to struggle to be set free as Mystique's blue scales shimmered and Rogue emerged.

Magneto fought to get free, but he had been weakened already from his exertions and his remaining power was being drained from him.

Recovering from the shock Jean yelled at Rogue, "Destroy the machine!"

She went to pull away, but Magneto wouldn't let her go. He had grabbed hold of her throat and began choking her.

Wolverine looking down could see Rogue and Magneto struggle. Logan watched helplessly as Magneto strangled Marie.

Through his pain Logan began again to struggle to free himself, but his agony was too intense. Logan bellowed as a white light began to emanate from his body. His flesh began to smolder.

As Magneto strangled Rogue, she continued to cling to his face --drawing his powers. They seemed locked together in a death grip.

The walls groaned as magnetic energy rippled through the Statue's head.

Rogue, choking to death, looked frantically at her teammates for help. Raising one of her hands she used Magneto's stolen power to bend back the metal points holding the others immobile.

Magneto, feeling the last of his power draining from him, grabbed Rogue tightly and slammed her into the wall. The two collapsed to the ground.

The X-Men rushed over to an unconscious Magneto and an injured Rogue. Helping her to her feet they again look towards the machine that was fully charged.

The sound from the machine was deafening, and then suddenly, silent.

Energy began to poor from the machine toward Ellis Island.

Knowing no other way, Cyclops aimed his visor toward the machines power source – Wolverine.

"Wait."

Cyclops turned toward Rogue's weakened voice.

"I can do it."

Concentrating on the blur of spinning rings Rogue began to focus her stolen knowledge and power. The others watched as the rings began to slow and Rogue began to rise through the air, out of the Statue's head.

The machine strained and groaned as the rings resisted the opposite force being applied. Rogue exerted her full power and with a gargantuan uproar the machine split apart. It's pieces flew every which way, and with it, so did Wolverine.

The other X-Men watched as the energy receded, like a wave, from Ellis Island. But Rogue's eyes were still on Logan. As he flew though the air she refocused and used her power to catch his badly burned body and lay him gently at the Statue's feet.

As soon as he touched the ground she let go of Magneto's power and fell from the air, unconscious.


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Wolverine woke up in the med lab. Again. Jean was standing over him, checking his bandages.

"How is she?"

"She's alive," she said softly, "how much do you remember?"

"A lot of pain. You trapped in the head. Magneto choking Ma-Rogue."

"She saved you. She saved us all."

"Where is she." He wasn't going to admit it, and he couldn't say why, but he half expected her to be by his side.

Jean motioned to the other side of the room. In the bed lay an unconscious Rogue.


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Three days later Marie opened her eyes to find a gloved Logan asleep in the chair beside her bed. She lay still as she tried to orient herself. Moments later Logan jerked upright, fully alert, his eyes on hers.

Seeing but not quite believing, she was hesitant. "Is it really you?"

Logan moved closer, his eyes revealing his confusion. "Of course it's me kid."

Marie shrank away from him slightly. "What's my name?"

"Marie."

Marie sighed and let go of the tension in her body. She knew she was safe. "Did we win?"

"Yep, the professor's awake, Magneto's locked away, the humans are safe. You were the last thing they were waiting on before they started celebrating. Can't say too much for the Statue of Liberty though."

Logan's body was restless, his words were gruff. Seeing she was awake was enough for him and he again felt awkward. Marie was able to pick up on his attitude and his wording.

"They? Not you?"

"Hey you know me kid. Maire," he corrected himself quickly. "Not much for the group hug. Just wanted to make sure you woke up, I owe you one, even if you were only doing it for the good of man and mutantkind."

There was a question behind his flippant words. One she could answer truthfully, "I did it for you Logan."

Logan's body relaxed and he again looked her in the eyes. As with the time in the woods the awkwardness disipated and the silence was comfortable.

After a few moments he spoke again. "Well as I was sayin', I got some searching to do. Figure if you got me in your head you know a little about it. I got things I want to find out about myself."

"I get that." And Logan could tell that she did.

Sitting up slightly Marie felt at her neck for something, then, realizing that someone must have removed her things in the aftermath she began searching the room. "Do you know what they did with what I was wearing?"

Though thrown a bit at the swift change of topic he motioned to the bedside table. "Uh, your cloths were taken somewhere but I saw Jean stick something in that drawer there. Didn't see what it was."

She shifted her still sore body and rummaged in the drawer, then gave a sigh of pleasure as she found whatever it was that she was looking for. Logan didn't see what it was until she dangled it between them.

His dog tag.

"Mystique had it. Figured you'd want it back." She watched as he looked at his tag for a moment and then his eyes locked on hers. "I don't want you to go," she said it quietly, almost shyly.

Rogue wasn't sure what drew her to the man in front of her but in their short time together she felt a connection that she couldn't ignore. He needed to walk away, she understood that, but she couldn't let him go without letting him know a little of how she felt. For the first time since her mutation she felt whole. Her words were to let him know that there was someone who would remember him, someone who would think of him, someone who would miss him. She understood the need to have those things and he closed his eyes briefly in acknowledgment of her gift. And gave her one in return.

His eyes never leaving hers he took her hand in his and dropped the tag in her open palm. "I'll be back for this."

Just as he understood the meaning behind her words she understood that he wasn't referring to the tag alone. That "this" was what they had together, the connection they each felt, even if they didn't quite understand it. He would be back for the possibility that, together, they could be compete.


The End