When Logan woke it was to a splitting headache that he hoped his healing factor would take care of, real quick. He stood from his spot on the floor and slowly looked around, his head swimming. Groaning in pain, he leaned against the wall, cursing. “Fucking elephant tranquilizers.” he muttered.

After shaking his head, he pushed away from the wall and determinedly walked down the hall. When he reached the cell that held the prisoner, he was unsurprised to find it empty. “Damn.” he growled.

He stood silently in the doorway, watching her sleep. After he learned of her profession, it hadn’t been all that hard to find her. He still had connections that she obviously didn’t know about. As he stepped into the room, Marie groaned and rolled over. Her eyes met his and she gave a long-suffering sigh. “How’d you find me?”

“I just needed to know where to look, darlin’.”

“And I guess you conveniently forgot what I said would happen if I saw you again.”

He gave her a humorless smile. “You’re welcome to try.”

She returned his smile, “We’ve always known that I am the only one who would be able to take you out, Sugah.”

“You ain’t gonna get close enough darlin’.”

“Do you think you would actually be able to stop me? I’m not the weak little girl you once knew.” She stood, revealing that she was wearing a simple tank top and panties. As she stretched, she showed her firmly muscled stomach. As he watched, she lifted off the ground and easily floated a few inches above the floor.

His eyes narrowed, “Who’d you steal that from?”

“Her name was Ms. Marvel. I believe you knew her. I believe you -fucked- her.”

He took a step back and slowly slid out his claws.

Marie laughed, “That’s right sugar. I have her powers, all of them. The invulnerability, the flight, and the strength. You wanna know the best part? I learned control. Her powers are only the beginning. I have your powers, Logan. And, I have Magneto’s.”

A moment later, his entire frame stiffened and his face contorted in pain. “If there is one thing you need to learn is to not underestimate me. Ever.” A moment later he was flung hard against the a wall, leaving a sizable dent. Marie frowned, “Damn it. Now I’m gonna have to fix that.”

Logan groaned as he felt her power over him recede and slowly stood, his claws retracting. As he faced her, he saw her watching him, a strange expression on her face. A moment later she frowned and turned away from him. “Even after all this time…” she sighed.

He was confused until the scent of her arousal hit his sensitive nose. “You want me, darlin’?”

She clenched her jaw, knowing that a refusal would be pointless. “I always wanted you Logan. I never hid it.”

He looked away, “You were young. I thought you’d get over it.”

When he was sent out the window by her fist the moment after the words left his mouth, he knew that it was the wrong thing to say. Marie floated over him, her face a mask of fury. “I loved you, you self-righteous bastard!”

Grimacing as he stood, he watched her calmly. “I wasn’t going to defile an innocent kid just because she thought that she was in love with me.”

She closed her eyes for a moment before releasing a slow breath. When she opened her eyes and looked at him, he found himself unable to look away. “Innocent? Innocent, Logan! How in the hell could I be innocent with you in my head?! And Magneto! How could I have retained any innocence with two dirty old men in my head?”

He watched her carefully, her entire body tense with anger. “They told me I, we, faded.”

“They? Who the hell are they, Logan? The Professor? Jean? What the hell do they know?” She smiled and shook her head. “You’re still in there. I still use your memories on missions. But I learned to lock you away, I had to. When I absorbed Carol I learned the hard way. When I got her memories, I found out how you like to fuck. Entertaining. Like watching an animal.” She watched his face for a reaction, but when she didn’t get one, she crossed one of her legs over the other and floated in mid-air. She smirked, “Did you like my present, sugah? I thought you might like it.”

She watched in satisfaction as a muscle in his jaw clenched. “Where did you get it? The information.”

Her eyes gleamed as she watched him. “The mission was a simple one. It was also a trap. The bastards thought I could be the next Weapon X. But I’m nobody’s lapdog. Unlike you. You followed their every order for years.” She smiled as his anger built. “Anyway. I killed them all. Destroyed the facility to rubble. Nothing’s left.”

“Damn it, Marie!” he exploded. A second later he was almost upon her but she kicked him, sending him flying. When she caught him before he hit the ground, he was surprised.

“Ya ever been dropped out of a plane?” she asked sweetly.

“Yes.” he growled.

“Without a parachute?”

When he simply glared, she laughed and flew straight up. He tried to release her hold on him, but she simply moved her grip to one hand and used the other to hold his metal skeleton still. “Let me go, Marie.”

“I did a long time ago, sugar.”

“The Professor wants to hire you.” he said suddenly.

She stopped for a moment and looked at him doubtfully, “Really?”

“It’s why I came.”

“What for?”

“Extraction. We were gonna trade the prisoner you took for one of our own.”

She rolled her eyes. “My heart bleeds, Logan.” she said sarcastically.

She heard him growl and smirked. “So he wants me to get your man out?”

“Yeah.”

She shrugged, “I’ll think about it.” She flew higher then stopped and looked around. It was completely silent and when he looked down, he felt slightly sick to his stomach. When she looked at him her expression was calm. “It’s so nice up here. Away from everything.” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “Do you think you’ll survive it?” She asked quietly.

“Don’t know darlin’.” he replied honestly.

She gave a small smile. “I didn’t. When you dropped me, I died.” He didn’t know what to say, so he choose silence. “Tell Xavier I’ll do it. Two million. If you found me, you know how it works. All information should be relayed to my employer. Once the money is there, I’ll get your man out.”

“If you fail?”

“I never fail.” Their eyes met for a moment. Then she let go.

“Mother fucker!” Logan woke suddenly to searing and acute pain. He gasped a few times, letting his body finish healing. It was slow though, too slow. He remembering falling, surprised when she had actually let go.

She wasn’t who he remembered, not even close. It was as if she was a completely different person. Cold, vicious, “And mean.” he added aloud. He slowly stood, taking in his surroundings. When he had found Marie, he hadn’t been surprised to find her in large cabin in a forest outside of Anchorage.

After taking a sniff, he found that he wasn’t to far from Marie’s cabin. She may have flown high, but not far. It was night still, or maybe it was again. Had it taken him an entire day to heal? He groaned, she was stronger than him, a lot stronger. There was no way he would be able to beat her, unless…

He cracked his neck and stalked to his truck, parked a short distance from her cabin. A quick conversation with Chuck told him that he had been out for almost a day and that he agreed to her terms. Logan growled in response. Maybe Chuck agreed, but he sure as hell didn’t. When he had Chuck turned around to his way of thinking, he hung up and after grabbing his prize, he stalked back to her cabin.

Marie had just stepped out of the bathroom, wearing nothing but her robe, when strong hands grabbed her from behind. He pushed her face first against the wall and growled into her hair. “So you survived. I was starting to wonder.” she said calmly.

He growled louder, “You dropped me.” he snarled.

“I told you I was gonna. What? Didn’t believe me? Anyway, you’re alive. What’s your problem?”

“It fucking hurt, Marie.”

She laughed, “Never took you for a whiner, sugah.”

“You’re a bitch, Marie.”

She shrugged, “Been called worse by better.” When she tried to break his hold a moment later and found she couldn’t, she felt a brief edge of panic. “What’d you do? Why aren’t my powers working?” She continued to struggle against him, but stopped when he jerked one of her arms up. She resisted the urge to go to her toes and bit her lip to keep from crying out.

“It’s called a mutantcy suppressor. Any mutant within a hundred feet find themselves…useless.” He felt her relax against his words and when she gave a short laugh, he frowned.

“That’s it? You had me worried for a second.”

A moment later, he felt her shoulder disconnect as she broke his hold. She was a good five feet away from him when he realized he no longer held her. His eyes narrowed as he watched her expertly move her shoulder back into joint. After she rotated her shoulder in relief, she cocked her head and watched him. “You know, without the healing, that hurts like you wouldn’t believe.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and arched his eyebrow. “You just dropped me a good four hundred feet. I think I know.”

With a shrug, she conceded the point. “Yeah, I guess.” They were both silent for a moment. “Now what?”

“Now, I teach you some respect.”

Her eyes widened and she grinned. “You? Teach respect? Ya wouldn't know it if it bit ya in the ass. Repeatedly.”

“Maybe I don’t respect others. But I expect them to respect me. Like you used to.”

She rolled her eyes, “That was before I got smart. Anyway, you wouldn’t know how to fight without your healing. It wouldn’t be fair. For you.” she added with a smirk.

“You’ve had your strength and invulnerability be your crutch. I’ve taken them away from you. You don’t stand a chance against me.”

“I learned to fight without them, Logan. Don’t delude yourself into thinking that I’m helpless. It’ll only end badly for ya. But don’t worry, it’ll be over as soon as I find the suppressor.”

He gave her a grin. “If you find it, I’ll give you a cookie.”

She glared at him then turned her head away. That was what he used to say when he was training her, a long time ago. “I’m not who you remember, Logan. The girl who was in love with you died painfully. She’s not coming back.”

“Maybe I don’t want her back.” he said steadily.

“Oh, please. You loved having me fling myself at you. It was good for your ego.” she said scornfully.

“Yeah. I liked it. But not for the reasons you think.”

“What, were you in love with me? The tragic little girl with the poison skin.” He remained silent and when she looked at him, he averted his gaze. She slowly shook her head, “No. You fucked your way through the mansion. There is no way that you were in love with me.”

“What if I was darlin’? What if when I fucked every single one of them, I was thinking of you. What if I told you that when I jack off, I hold one of your old scarves. The scent is faded, I can barely smell it now, but it’s enough to make me come every time.”

“Yer lying. You were gonna get married. You wanted me to meet her.”

He pinned her with his gaze. “She looked like you. Talked like you, and she let me fuck her.”

She took a step back and blinked rapidly. “Yer lying. You have to be.” she said painfully.

“I couldn’t make the first move.”

“What?” she asked, confused.

“I couldn’t make the first move. I hoped that once you saw her, you would.” he explained.

“You selfish bastard.” she said lowly.

“I never claimed differently.” he said with a shrug.

The first hit was a surprise. Pain exploded along his jaw and he stumbled back. He managed to avoid the next hit, but took a kick to his knee instead. He cursed and blocked the next blow, catching her fist. He quickly brought her arm around her back and when she swung with her other fist, he moved that arm around her back as well. After moving both wrists to one of his hands, he used his other to grasp the back of her neck and pull her to him. “You left!” he yelled at her.

“I had to! You said you were in love with her!” she yelled back. “Would you have stuck around if -I- had brought someone else home!” He looked away at the question and clenched his jaw. “Ah didn’t think so.” When she found herself fighting tears, she shook her head furiously, trying to fling them away. “Damn it, let me go!”

She twisted and brought her leg up between them. The move loosened his hold on her wrists and the extra slack gave her room to plant her foot in his stomach and push him away. His hold gave way completely and she stumbled back. “How could you? How could you play games like that?” she asked softly.

“I wasn’t playin’ darlin’.”

“Oh, yeah? Then what would you call it?”

He thought for a moment, “Maneuvering?”

She huffed out a disbelieving laugh and then took a deep breath. “This doesn’t change a thing. I don’t love you anymore, I don’t even like you.”

“This changes more than you think. Do you actually think that now I’ve found you again, I’m gonna let you go?”

“Let me go?” Marie exclaimed, her face disbelieving. “Logan, to let someone go, ya first have to have them. Ya never had me.”

He watched her, his face serious. “Yes, I did.”

She gasped, indignant. “Go to hell, Logan. Ya never did and never will.”

“I’ve had you since the moment you took my life as your own. From the moment I entered your body and you entered my mind. I have you Marie. I always will.” He saw her breathing quicken and stepped closer. “You know it, don’t you Marie. When I gave you my life on Liberty Island you felt it. My hunger for you. The need I have to claim you in every way possible. Your mind, your spirit.” He came closer until he was flush against her. “Your body.”

Her lips parted unconsciously and she swallowed thickly, shaking her head. “No.”

Even to her ears it sounded weak and he chuckled. Tracing a finger over her collarbone, he barely managed to hold back a groan when he caught the scent of her arousal even with his deadened senses. He took a deep breath and leaned his head close to her neck. She let out a soft gasp when his tongue brushed over the throbbing pulse in her neck. His hand curled around the back of her neck to bring her closer as he watched her face. “You’re beautiful, Marie.”

``

She groaned silently when she felt her heart race at his words, he was playing the one game she never cared to learn. Seduction. When it came to it, they were on two totally different playing fields. He was saying everything she had ever wanted to hear from him and right then, it didn’t matter that they were too little, too late.

His tongue brushed her sensitive skin and she couldn’t fight her reaction. He said something, she wasn’t sure what, but then he claimed her lips in a searing kiss and all other thoughts faded. She felt the hand at the back of her neck tighten and he brought his other hand around her waist tightly. Her hands gripped his shoulders in a desperate attempt at steadying herself.

She felt the proof of his desire pressing against her and a whimper caught in her throat. It was that pathetic noise that brought her back to her senses. Allowing herself to continue kissing him was difficult, but she had to wait for the right time. When he let out a growl followed by his hand tightening at her back, she knew his guard was down.

She drove her knee into the one unguarded part of his anatomy and smiled when his pain filled gasp reached her ears. He released her to grasp his throbbing family jewels, a whimper of pain escaping him. She felt strangely justified at making him emit such a noise and stepped away from him. “No, Logan. You lost your chance, you can’t get it back. When you’re recovered enough, leave. I never want to see you again.”

When she turned to leave the room, he groaned and slowly straightened. “Marie.”

She stopped, making a frustrated noise. “What?”

“There’s something I still need to tell you.”

She turned back and crossed her arms over her chest, waiting.

“Xavier wants us to work together on the recovery.” It was a lie, but he didn’t care.

“Bullshit.”

He smirked and cracked his neck. “Why would I lie, darlin’?”

She glared at him, “Fine. I just decided not to do it. Imagine that. Go away.” she said coldly and started to walk away.

“I wouldn’t do that. What would happen if future clients learn about how unreliable you can be? What would stop them from thinking you would just take the money and leave the job unfulfilled.”

She froze, her body tense. “You wouldn’t.”

“I would. I have connections that can make anything happen.”

He watched as she fought to control her temper, amusement mixing with the pain radiating from his crotch. He really needed his healing factor right now.

“Fine.” she spat out. “Ah’ll do it. Tomorrow. Then you leave meh alone.”

-I’ll never leave you alone, baby.- “Tomorrow won’t work for me. I need to make it to the mansion first to get my things. Three days. Then we’ll rendezvous.”

She took a deep breath and nodded. “Ya might want to leave now. Because if I find that suppressor before ya leave, ya are going to be in a world of hurt.” She ground out from between gritted teeth.

He walked over to her and ran a finger across her bare hand. “I’ll go now. But don’t think this thing between us is over.”

She pushed his hand away. “There is no -thing- between us, Logan! You’re delusional!”

He quickly brushed his lips over hers and before she could react, he stepped back and with a final smirk, walked away. Her frustrated scream reached his ears and he couldn’t stop the chuckle that surfaced. “You’re mine, Marie. Even if you won’t admit it.”

“Let’s get this over with.” Marie checked her handgun one last time. She didn’t like to carry, but she could only reach so far. Besides, some things were better done from a distance.

“Why are you in such a hurry, darlin’?” She glared over at Logan dressed in the same camouflage as her. His face dark with paint and his pointy hair covered. He barely resembled the man she knew.

She smiled, “Because Ah want to get away from ya as soon as possible.” she said sweetly.

“Ah, darlin’. You really know how to kill a man’s ego.”

“Good.” she responded curtly. She checked her watch, then lifted her binoculars to her eyes. When she saw the guard changing shift, she swiftly replaced them. “Let’s go.”

As she watched, Logan shifted to all business. His eyes hardened and he cracked his neck. “Ready and willing, darlin’.”

She cracked her neck, an unconscious habit she gained from him and tried not to wince at his smirk. A second later they were swiftly moving across the grounds of the military-like compound. They reached the intended door moment later and after Wolverine destroyed the lock, they moved into the building.

As they reached the end of the hallway, Marie pulled out the handheld that she downloaded the schematics of the building into. Wolverine wrinkled his nose, “You don’t need that, darlin’.”

She didn’t even look up, “Of course Ah do. How else…” She trailed off and looked at him a little sheepishly. “Oh, yeah. Lead on, bloodhound.”

He scowled at her as they moved swiftly down the hallway. “I ain’t a dog, Marie.”

“Coulda fooled meh.” she answered with a snort.

“Look, Marie. It was a long time ago. And…I, well. I’m sorry.”

Marie froze, looking at him disbelievingly. “What?”

He opened his mouth, but a second later a shout rang out and they were barraged with gunfire and other projectiles. They took cover, diving behind large metal pillars. “Later.” he mouthed. She simply watched him for a moment before turning to return fire. With three rapid shots, the gunfire and projectiles ceased. A loud alarm was echoing through the building and she frowned. “Well, shit. We need ta hurry.”

He took a quick sniff, “This way.”

She followed him without question, keeping a vigil at their back. When they were confronted, Wolverines claws made an appearance. He dispatched them quickly, raising his eyebrows at her. She shot him a frown, “Not impressed.”

He shrugged. After once again scenting the air, he led them down another hallway. “Here.”

When he didn’t move she looked at him in confusion. He was frozen and she sighed. “Magneto.”

He revealed himself from behind a corner and gave him charming smile. “Hello, my dear. I’ve not seen you in years.”

She smiled back at him, “And Ah was hoping ta never see ya again.”

“Where are your manners?” he chastised.

She stuck her hands in her front pockets then in the back, “Must have left them in my other pants.”

He frowned, not appreciating her joke. “Why are you here?”

“Ah heard ya have the -best- folk song collection. Ah was hoping ta borrow it.” She heard a snort from Logan and smiled.

Magneto fixed her with a glare. “I do not find you amusing.”

She jerked her head at Logan. “He does.”

“That animal does not matter.”

Marie heard a low growl from Logan and smirked, “He is kinda stupid.”

Magneto tilted his head, “Indeed, my dear.” A second later, she took control of Wolverine’s adamantium frame from Magneto and after extending his claws, sent him flying at ol’ buckethead.

Magneto, surprised, barely managed to move out of the way in time to escape getting impaled. He didn’t see Marie flying right after Wolverine until her fists connected with his jaw, then his nose. Staggering pain hit then blessed darkness as he passed out.

As she stood over him, she beckoned a sliver of metal to her hand. But before she could plunge it into Magneto’s heart, her wrist was gripped tightly. She glared up at Logan, “What are ya doin’?”

“You can’t darlin’.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Chuck wouldn’t want you to.”

“Like Ah care!” Nonetheless, she dropped her weapon. She whirled in the direction he indicated earlier and stalked away. She stopped after a few steps and turned back. “It’s because of him, everything! If he hadn’t been trackin’ meh we would have never ended up at the mansion. Ya would have dropped meh at the next town and Ah never would have seen you again. Ya wouldn’t be in my head. -He- wouldn’t be in my head!” She held in a frustrated scream and clenched her jaw. “Ah hate him.” she said softly.

He walked over to her and cupped her face in his hands. “I know the feeling. Let’s get out of here, then I’ll let you scream all you want.”

Barely holding back a grateful smile, she pushed away from him. “Don’t do meh any favors.”

She thought she heard him sigh, and after checking Magneto, he strode over to the door. Extending his claws, he shredded the lock and pulled the door open. Marie followed, checking the hallway. When she saw three coming to them from the left and five from the right, she cursed. “Can we hurry this up a bit?”

When he emerged, she looked at them in shock. “Scott?” He looked terrible. He was barely able to stand, leaning heavily on Logan. He was covered in bruises and lacerations. What looked like burns covered his upper torso and there were several punctures in the back of his right hand. The worst part though, was his eyes. They were stitched shut with what looked like black string.

“Rogue?” he said weakly.

“Yeah. It’s me.” She touched the side of his face and felt a strong fever running through his system. She worriedly looked at Logan.

“I know.” he said softly. “Let’s get out of here first, then we can make sure he gets better.”

She took a step back, “Ya ready?” He nodded and turning her head, caught sight of Magneto. “Still think Ah shouldn’t kill Rusty over there?” she asked seriously. Logan looked down, his jaw ticking.

A soft whisper barely reached their ears. “Wasn’t…. Magneto.” Her eyes met his in confusion and he shrugged. “Home.” Scott managed to get out.

“Yeah, buddy. We’ll get you home.”

Marie smiled and lifted off the ground as the men reached them. He returned the smile, “Let’s get out of here, darlin’.”

They made a good team. They always had. Somewhere along the way, she forgot how good they were together. It had been a sign to her when she was younger about how much they belonged together. Now, years later, fighting by his side, brought those feelings back. She didn’t -want- them back. She really, really didn’t.

She cursed when she took a bullet to her arm, the searing pain pissing her off. She fought the feeling though. Anger would only cloud her mind and she needed to be clear-headed. Concentrating briefly, she brought Logan’s healing to the surface. The wound healed quickly, and she turned in time to take Scott from Wolverine so he could take out some grunts that were guarding the exit.

When she breathed in the crisp night air, she felt herself smile. They ran for the surrounding forest, heading for his truck. Marie took to flight as to not injure Scott further, but when she looked down at him, she cursed and stopped.

“Logan!” He quickly ran to her side as she lowered Scott to the ground.

“What is it?”

“He’s not breathin’.”

“Shit. Know CPR, darlin’?” he asked, his body tense.

She nodded, “I’ll do the breaths if you do the compressions.” He hesitated for a second and she growled. “Fucking grow up, Logan!”

He frowned at her and moved into the proper position to do the compressions. After working for a few minutes, she cursed and moved away. “It’s not workin’.” Logan sat back, his posture defeated. Marie took a deep breath, her jaw working. “I’m gonna do something. I need you to be ready to catch me.”

“What?”

She shook her head and focused on Scott. “I’ve never failed before. You ain’t ruining my average, Scott.” With that, she placed her lips on his and focused on all of her stolen healing abilities. She forced herself to push out instead of pulling in.

She knew it was working when she started to feel faint and the coppery smell of her blood reached her nose as her earlier wound opened. When Scott took a breath against her, she smiled slightly before the world went dark.

As Marie woke, all she could feel was blinding pain all over her body. “oh, fuck.” she whimpered.

Cool hands lightly touched her brow, soothing her. She heard words spoken, but couldn’t make them out. It wasn’t long before she found herself drifting off again, a drug induced haze clouding her mind.

She felt as if her body was hovering, a different feeling than flying. She felt peace she hadn’t felt in years surrounding her. Unbidden, everything came back to her. The love she felt for Logan, the pain of his betrayal. The loneliness of all the years alone, then the acceptance as she resigned herself to her new life. But mostly, the guilt of all her years of killing hit her all at once. She cried out as she felt as if her heart were being ripped out.

“Damn it, Jeannie! Do something!” Logan watched helplessly as Marie thrashed violently on the table.

“I’m trying! I never had a chance to fully research her mutation. I don’t know what will help her and what will hurt her!” she cried out, her hands moving over Marie’s body swiftly. She couldn’t find any injuries, and knowing what she had done for Scott didn’t help at all. By all accounts, she should now be fine. But instead, she struggled violently.

Jean met Hank’s gaze over her body and saw that he was as confused and helpless as her. Just then, Marie sent Hank flying across the room. Logan moved to hold her down as Hank shook his head to clear it and once again approached the table. He flinched when Marie started to scream, the sound filled with pain.

Jean grabbed the sedative she had used earlier, pushing it through her usually invulnerable skin. Marie calmed slowly, the only sign of her previous stress muscle spasms across her entire body. Logan slowly released her, his worried gaze following the rapid, jerky breaths she took. He dared a quick look at her heart monitor, his own sinking as he took in the erratic beeping.

“We don’t have much time.” Jean said softly, “We have to find out what’s wrong with her.” She and Hank moved to the machine beside the table, pouring over the readouts. They talked softly, but quickly, combining their medical knowledge.

Logan tuned them out and moved to Marie’s head. He took her hand and brushed the hair from her face. “Please don’t do this, baby. I know you’re mad at me, but you’re stronger than this. Come on, I know you still wanna kick my ass a few more times.” he kissed the back of her hand and pressed her palm to his face. “I’m sorry. For all those women. I knew it hurt you, but…I just didn’t know how to deal with my feelings for you. They fucking scared me Marie. Every day I looked at you and saw my future. Kids, the white picket fence, even a damn dog.

“And when I accepted my feelings, I did everything all wrong. Whenever I thought about telling you how I felt, I stopped because I felt guilty. You were so young and being with me would have taken all that from you. But I thought that if I got you to come to me instead, I could forget the guilt because you’d made the decision on your own.” He stopped and looked at the monitor, a feeling of dread coursing down his spine as the already erratic beeping started to slow.

“No! Don’t you fucking dare Marie! Please, darlin’.” He kissed her softly, “We’ve already lost so much time. Don’t leave me when I just found you again. I love you. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t. Please.” There was no difference and Logan could feel hot tears running down his face.

In the face of losing his mate, the Wolverine did what he did best. He got mad. “Damn it Marie! Don’t you do this. I’ll follow you. I swear to fuck I’ll find a way. You gotta come back so I can kick your ass for running out on me. Then I'll make sure you spend the next ten years pregnant and barefoot cooking for me.” he ignored the gasp of feminine outrage from Jean in favor of Marie’s strengthening heartbeat. “That’s right baby. You wanna kick my ass now, don’t you?”

When he felt Marie’s mutation flare, leaving him weak, he smiled. He placed one hand on either side of her face and kissed her intently. It wasn’t long before he collapsed, but he was smiling.

Logan woke slowly, an unfamiliar stiffness in his limbs. He sat up slowly, stretching. Looking around, he saw he was still in the med-lab. When he saw Marie on the table beside him, he frowned and moved to her. Her breathing was steady and calm, and the rhythmic beeping of the monitor soothed his nerves instead of annoying him. Brushing a hand across her face, he found her skin warm and soft. When he heard the door open, he turned to see Scott, fully healed and smiling. When he saw Scott without his glasses, he shot him a confused look.

“What the hell, Scooter?”

“Nice to see you too, Logan.” he said wryly. He cocked his head to the side, “You are one ugly son of a bitch, you know that?”

“Screw you, Scott.” he said grumpily, but with affection. “What happened with your glasses?”

Scott gave a slight shrug, “Jean thinks that when Marie gave me her power, she also gave me control.”

“Congrats.”

“Thanks, Logan.”

They both turned back to Marie and Scott moved to hold her hand. “She woke up for a few minutes a couple of hours ago. Didn’t say much, but she smiled at me.”

Logan grunted, “I was wonderin’.”

“She’ll be okay, Logan. I heard you two have a lot to talk about.”

Logan glared at him, “Go fuck your wife, Scooter.”

Scott smirked and with a mock salute, left the room.

Logan turned back to Marie and ran his thumb across her bottom lip. “I know you’re awake, darlin’.”

Marie slowly opened her eyes blinking rapidly against the bright light. She looked to Logan who was watching her expectantly. “What?” she asked.

“Feel better?”

She nodded, “Yep. So much better in fact, I can leave now.” She chose to ignore the weakness that each of her muscles declared loudly.

Logan arched an eyebrow at her and crossed his arms over his chest, “Really?”

She scoffed, “Really.” Throwing back the thin blanket covering her, she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Refusing to acknowledge that her legs felt like jelly, she slowly lowered her weight onto them. So far, so good. Wincing slightly as a tingling took over her limbs, she gritted her teeth and tried to take a step forward.

Nothing. Her legs were numb. Well, fine. ‘I’ll just fly.’ she thought. She barely got an inch off the ground before she felt her powers give out. When her weight once again rested on her legs, she found herself unable to support her weight.

She would have met the floor if Logan hadn’t caught her. He pulled her flush to his chest and when she looked up, they looked into each others eyes. His were intense and she was unable to look away. Her mouth parted slightly and his gaze dropped to her mouth. Involuntarily, she licked her lips nervously.

She felt him take a sudden breath, and gasped when he moved to place her on the bed. He leaned between her legs and lightly rubbed his hands over her thighs. When she realized he was massaging her legs, she closed her eyes and tilted her head back. Oh, he was good. She moaned when he increased the pressure on her muscles and found herself growing aroused.

‘Oh, no.’ she thought frantically. From where he stood, there was no way he wouldn’t smell her. She fisted her hands in the blanket and tried to will her arousal away. Instead, she only grew wetter as his hands moved higher. His hands brushed her upper legs, close to her core.

She gasped and opened her eyes, her gaze clashing with his. Embarrassed to realize her breath was coming in short gasps, she flushed. A moment later, his lips crushed hers in a fiercely passionate kiss. For the first time she responded knowingly. She threaded her fingers though his hair as he leaned her back over the bed.

Her legs were still numb, so instead of wrapping her legs around him, she arched into him. He cursed lightly and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. Lightly tracing her lips with his tongue, he asked silently for admittance. She quickly granted it and he took immediate advantage. He tasted her thoroughly, leaving her writhing against him.

She groaned and when she once again tried to wrap her legs around him, she hissed in pain. Her newly awakened muscles protested loudly and she gasped. He moved back slightly to look at her and she winced, “Mah legs.” Another spasm hit her and she bit the inside of her mouth to stop the whimper that threatened to come forth.

He immediately moved off of her and resumed kneading her legs. “Sorry, darlin’.” he said gruffly.

She shook her head, “Ah didn’t mind.”

He smirked at her, but his expression sobered. “You fuckin’ scared me, Marie.”

She shrugged and tensed when he hit a particularly sensitive spot. “Ah’m alive.” she pointed out.

He glared at her, “Barely.”

She smiled, “Semantics.”

Shaking his head, he straitened and looked down at her. “I’ve gotta go, baby. But I’ll be back.”

Rolling her eyes at him, she tilted her head. “Ah’m not five. Ya can just go ya know. Ah’ll be ready to go before you get back anyway.”

He scowled at her then moved so he overshadowed her. “We need to talk, Marie.”

“Whatever, Logan. Go away.”

He quickly kissed her forehead and walked away, giving her an excellent view of his behind. He had a -great- butt. She chuckled at her own behavior as the door closed behind him. Enjoying a few minutes of silence, she gasped loudly when a familiar but long forgotten sensation hit her. “No.” she whispered.

The door opened and looked up, training her face into a calm expression before seeing who entered. “Hello, Rogue.” Jean smiled as she walked into the room.

“Hi, Dr. Grey.”

Jean gave her a smile and shook her head. “Call me Jean.”

Marie nodded, “So. What happened to me?” she asked curiously.

“Well, as far as we can tell, when you gave Scott your healing, you didn’t just give him the stolen abilities. You gave him everything. Including your own natural healing abilities.”

Marie blinked and gave a wry chuckle. “Oh.”

Jean gave her a smile and shook her head. “The reason it was such a problem is because your body heals and regenerates 24/7. It was a stupid thing to do and- I’ve never been more grateful for anything in my life. Thank you, Rogue.” she said sincerely.

“Call me Marie.” she responded, not sure how to respond to her gratitude.

Jean smiled. “Marie.” After grabbing a few medical instruments, she gave Marie a quick once over. “You seem to be all better. I don’t see why you can’t leave the med-lab. Just take it easy.”

“Thanks.”

Jean nodded, “Just tell me if you need anything.”

“I will.”

The second after the door closed behind Jean, the smile fell from Marie’s face. She shut her eyes tightly and pressed her hands to her head. “Stop.” her face contorted in pain and she softly cried out. “Please, stop.” She curled into herself on the bed, hands covering her face.

It was more than an hour before she was able to leave the med-lab. She moved slowly, her muscles protesting with each movement. It took her close to twenty minutes before she was opening the door leading outside. She moved to a stone bench and looked to the night sky. She lifted her face to the gentle breeze and sighed. Oh, how she wanted to be flying right now. It always soothed her mind and lifted her spirits.

When her muscles protested to her shifting on the bench, she groaned. Usually when Logan gave her his healing, it was immediate. This was the first time she had stolen his powers and they didn’t completely work.

Logan. He was the reason she was so confused. She thought her feelings for him were dead, but after only two days, she found herself wanting him again. For so long, she survived by being numb. And as much as she tried to fight it, her world was no longer gray.

“Color.” she whispered.

“There you are.” Logan’s voice sounded behind her and she looked to him.

“You brought the color back.” she whispered softly.

He didn’t seem to hear her and moved to sit beside her. When she immediately stood and walked a short distance, he watched her. “What’s wrong?”

“Color.” she stated.

“What?” he asked, confused.

“Color, Logan. You brought the color back.”

He stood and watched her face, worried and confused. “Isn‘t that a good thing, darlin’?”

“Ah didn’t want it back, Logan! Ah liked my grays. My world was safe, there was no pain, fear, sadness. No pity. No hate or…” she trailed off, her eyes filling with tears.

“Love? What about love?”

“Ah don’t want it.” she said harshly.

“Yes. You do.” He turned her around and tilted her face up to look at her. “It’s all you ever wanted.”

“No. Want hurts too much.”

Logan framed her face with his hands, pushing her hair from her face. “I love you, Marie.”

She choked on a sob and shook her head, “No.”

“Yes. I love you and I know somewhere in there you love me.”

“Ah can’t.”

“You can.” he said fiercely.

“Yah don’t understand.”

“What don’t I understand?” his tone softening.

“It hurts.”

“What hurts?”

“The screams. Ah was able to push them down before. Ah can’t anymore. They’re getting louder. You’re fightin’ them, in my head, but they’re winning. Soon, Ah’m gonna be gone. Ah can feel it.”

“What are you talking about?” he asked, panic lacing his voice.

“Everyone Ah’ve absorbed. They’re coming to the surface and Ah can’t stop them.”

His eyes widened and a chill ran through his body. “No. You gotta fight ‘em, Marie.”

Giving him a small smile through her tears, she closed her eyes and leaned her cheek into his palm. “Ah’m exhausted, Logan. All Ah‘ve done for the last four years is fight. It’s been hell. Ah can‘t do it anymore.”

“You don’t mean that. You can’t.”

“Ah’m sorry. You were right. As much as Ah fought it, it never went away. Not once. Ah love you, Logan. Always will.”

She rose to her toes and gave him a soft kiss. It was over before he could respond and as he watched, her eyes went blank and he had to catch her before she collapsed.

“She didn’t exactly give up, but looking into her mind, all that was there was a wall. An impenetrable wall, thick and high. I felt her mind seconds before she collapsed. It appears everyone she has absorbed over the years were rising up in revolt. Some of them were…horrible people. Rather than let one of them control her, Rogue retreated into her mind to control them. She sealed herself and all of the others in her mind. She refused to let one of them take over her body.”

“Will she wake up?” Logan asked, his voice low.

The Professor sighed and pressed his palms together. “I honestly don’t know, Logan. But if I would have to guess, I would have to say it’s doubtful that she ever will.”

Logan growled, “Why the hell not?”

“From the brief glance I got from her, I got the impression that she was preparing to hold the personalities down permanently.” he shook his head sadly, “Her mind was in complete chaos. I’ve never felt anything like it before.”

“Can’t you do anything to help?”

“You have to understand. The mind is a delicate thing. I could try to take the personalities from her mind, but I can’t guarantee that the personalities is all I would get.”

“You mean you could get her memories?”

“Yes, Logan.”

“Do it.” he growled.

The Professor shook his head, “I cannot and will not do that. It is morally reprehensible to do it without her permission.”

“Then ask her. Enter her mind and do that thing you do.”

“I have tried. The wall around her mind won’t let me through.”

Logan stood from his chair and started pacing Xavier’s office. He chewed the cigar in his mouth and ran his hands though his hair. When he stopped, Xavier raised his eyebrow expectantly. “Send me. You can do that right?”

“I can, but what makes you think you will have anymore success than me?”

“Just a feeling I have.”

The Professor briefly considered Logan before closing his eyes. “We can try it, but I cannot make any promises. Meet me in the lab in two hours.”

Logan nodded and quickly left the room. He walked to his bedroom, but found himself unable to concentrate on anything when he got there. He paced, took a shower and even gave his room a quick clean-up. When he found himself pacing again, he growled in frustration and ran his hands through his hair. Sitting on his bed heavily, he sighed.

Seven years. Seven fucking years! It didn’t matter that she hadn’t come back for him, the fact that she was in his life again was enough for him. Then she shuts herself down before he even had a chance. There were many things you could say about the Wolverine, but that he gave up easily was not one of them.

He’d missed her. He missed seeing her smile, the way she teased him. He missed her scent, the way it could calm him and arouse him at the same time. The feel of her skin even through the layers of clothing she’d been forced to wear.

When his chest tightened and he felt suspicious moisture at the corner of his eyes, he released his claws. The familiar pain grounded him and he took a slow breath. ‘Quit being a pansy.’ he told himself. There was no way he was going to let her go. Even if he had to fight to keep her.

Logan eyed the Professor, “No snooping in my mind, Chuck.”

The look the Xavier shot him was extremely annoyed. “Please lie down, Logan.” Raising an eyebrow at him, Logan settled onto the hard surface beside an unconscious Marie. “Are you ready?”

After taking in Marie’s calm features, he nodded.

He immediately felt an invading presence in his mind a minute before the world went black. When he opened his eyes, there was a tall brick wall in front of him. He let out a low whistle. “Impressive, darlin’.”

He unsheathed his claws and took a quick swipe at the wall. When three claw marks appeared and stayed, he smirked. It took him longer than he thought it would, portions of the wall regenerated even as he took them out, but when he stepped through the hole that he created, he allowed himself a small feeling of victory.

As he took in the landscape, he immediately recognized a Japanese garden. Tranquil waters flowed under several bridges, connecting a small patch of green grass to the rest of the garden. He smiled. Marie sat in the center of the small island, and she appeared to be meditating. She looked beautiful.

“Why, thank ya sugah.” Marie opened her eyes and smiled at him.

“How did you know what I was thinking?”

Marie tilted her head at him, “My mind, my rules.” When she stood and stared at him intently, her face tense, he frowned.

“What’s wrong, darlin’?”

She shook her head and closed her eyes. A moment later, she gasped. “How did you get in here, Logan?”

He crossed his arms over his chest, “Made a hole.”

She was beside him in an instant. “Where?” she asked, her voice frantic.

He jerked a thumb over his shoulder and saw her eyes widen. “Damn it!”

When he looked, he saw several people crowding around the hole he had made. Marie quickly flew over and knocked a few of them away. “Help me!” she yelled. “Ah can’t hold them back and fix it at the same time.” He was already on his way, and while she had been fighting the ones surrounding the hole, many more appeared.

“Aw, fuck.” he cursed and quickly made his way to her side. As he reached her, she gave him a grateful look. “Just hold them back, okay?”

“You got it darlin’.” She turned and placed both hands on the wall, her face a mask of concentration. While she worked, Logan fought off the inhabitants of her mind. He didn’t know how she accumulated so many in her head, but he could see why she’d been in such pain.

How she’d kept them in control before he had no idea. He even caught a brief glance of Sabertooth. When a statuesque blond landed in front of him and the crowd stepped back, he groaned. “Carol.”

Carol smiled at him, but it wasn’t nice. “Why are you helping her? After what she did to me, to us-” she gestured around at the crowd surrounding them. “You should be helping -us-.”

Logan gave a low growl, “I don’t gave a shit about any of you, and I love her.”

Carol glared at him, “Then you’re an idiot.”

When a soft hand touched his shoulder, he gave a quick glance at Marie. He gave her a soft smile and she watched him with a sad expression. Then she turned to the crowd and her even stare made them all grumble and walk away. Except Carol.

She glared at Marie, “You and I both know that you should let me out.”

Marie shook her head, “Not gonna happen.”

“You killed me!” she hissed.

“Actually, you’re just in a coma.”

“Bitch!”

Marie glared at her, “Get lost, Carol.”

With a final glare, Carol turned and flew away. Logan turned and winced when he saw the look Marie was giving him. “Do you have any idea what would have happened if one of them had gotten out?”

“Um, sorry?”

Marie opened her mouth then closed it, shaking her head at the sheepish expression on his face. She sighed, “What are you doing here, Logan?”

“The Professor couldn’t get in, so I figured I’d try.”

“Why?”

“He can help you. Remove the personalities, give you your brain back.”

“Really?” he saw a small smile start across her face before she frowned. “What’s the catch?”

“There is a chance he could end up taking more that just the personalities. He might get your memories too.”

“How big a chance?”

Logan ran a hand through his hair, “The way he said it, a pretty big chance.”

Marie turned, “So Ah could get my life back, but loose myself? Ah don’t know if it’s worth it, Logan.”

He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “We could be together, Marie. Just you and me, telling the rest of the world to fuck off.”

He saw her smile and she slowly relaxed into him. “You and meh?”

“Yeah.”

“You promise?”

He smiled against her hair, “Yeah, I promise.”

“Tell him to do it. But you need to do one thing for me.” she turned and grasped the material of his shirt. “When Ah wake up, if Ah don’t remember, tell me everything.”

He frowned and cupped her face in his hands, “Why?”

“Because it makes me who Ah am. The woman who loves you.”

He rested his forehead against hers, “You sure?”

“There is so much Ah wouldn’t mind losing, but there is so much more that Ah wanna keep.”

He sighed and traced his thumb over her bottom lip, “I wish we could have those years back.”

She shot him a teasing smile, “We wouldn’t have lost them if ya hadn’t been being an ass.”

“Shut up, Marie.”

“Make me.”

He smiled at the invite and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was chaste, light and too short. They sobered when they stepped back, “You tell the Professor to stay in mah mind. He needs to be ready when Ah let my shields down.”

He nodded, his face serious. He took her hand and placed a kiss to her knuckles. “So how do I get out of here?”

She closed her eyes and he could tell she was concentrating. When she opened her eyes, she gestured behind him, “Hurry.” A hole had appeared just big enough for him.

“I love ya, Marie.”

“Ah love you too, Logan.”

He turned, quickly moving through the hole and it closed behind him. The world went black a moment later and when he woke, he saw Xavier watching him. “Do it.”

Marie woke slowly, an unfamiliar scent assaulting her nose. She reluctantly opened her eyes, only to close them when overly bright lights hit them. After taking a few deep breaths, she looked around the room. She recognized it as a hospital room, but not like one she’d ever seen before.

She glanced around the room once more and blinked rapidly when she saw a man sitting in a chair a few feet from her bed. Raising her eyebrows and smiling, she studied him for a moment. He was HOT. Great body from what she could see. His arms rested across his stomach and his chin was resting lightly on his chest. He was snoring lightly and her mouth opened of it’s own accord and she ran her tongue over her dry lips as she decided that he was definitely the hottest guy she’d ever seen.

When she realized what she was doing, she snapped her mouth shut and covered it to smother her giggle. Here she was, waking up in a hospital bed, with no memory of how she got there, and she was ogling a guy she’d never met before. Her girlfriends would laugh when she told them later.

When a wave of dizziness hit her, she groaned and raised her hand to her forehead. She let out a soft groan and took a few deep breaths. She was unaware the man had moved until he lightly touched her head, smoothing her hair back gently. “You okay, darlin’?”

She moved her hand to look at him and was met by the most beautiful hazel eyes she’d ever seen. She gave a dumb nod, not breaking eye contact with him. After suppressing the silly urge to kiss him, she tore her gaze away and cleared her throat cautiously. “Yeah. Just, um, a little dizzy.”

“Chuck said that might happen.” he said, his hand now lightly moving through her hair. She let out a sigh at the sensation and closed her eyes. A moment later they popped open and she frowned slightly.

“Who’s Chuck?” She asked. “Is he mah doctor or something’?”

His hand stopped for a moment and he studied her face. “Yeah. Something like that.”

When he resumed moving his hand through her hair, she was ridciously grateful. She felt his gaze remain on her and she bit her lip, “So…do I know you?”

She met his eyes, confused by the flash of pain she saw. “Yeah, darlin’.” he seemed to hesitate, but the moment passed quickly. “I’m your husband.”

Her eyes widened and after a minute she let out a disbelieving snort. “Uh-huh. Ah’m only seventeen, how can Ah be married?”

He shook his head slightly, “Marie, this may be hard to hear, but you’re not seventeen. You’re twenty-seven.”

Her chest tightened and she swallowed hard. “What?”

“You’re not seventeen anymore. You had a serious head injury about a month ago. We weren’t sure what the damage would be, until now. You lost ten years Marie. I’m sorry.”

All of the sudden, her head clouded and she did something that she could only remember having done once before.

She fainted.

When she woke up the second time, she heard the sounds of arguing voices.

“I thought we agreed that when she woke, I would tell her what had transpired.” A man’s voice. Very dignified, even if he did sound…well, pissed.

“No. You agreed with each other. I never agreed to shit.” The man from before. Her husband.

“Logan. Your behavior is not helping.” A woman. Her voice was very cultured. Marie felt a slight surge of jealously. Whenever she traveled out of the south, she felt like a country bumpkin. She would never sound like that.

“Who said I was trying to help?” It was said with a growl that sent a shiver down her spine. Her husband again. Logan. She felt slightly giddy, she was married to hunk.

“Rogue needs all the help she can get right now, and this attitude of yours will only hinder our efforts.” The dignified guy, he sounded calmer now. ‘Who’s Rogue?’ she wondered.

“You know what, Chuck? You can take your self-righteous attitude and shove it up your-”

“Logan!” The woman interrupted, sounding offended.

Her laugh rose up before she could stop it and she cringed when the room was suddenly silent. She heard movement and reluctantly opened her eyes to see Logan, her husband. She loved the sound of that. Another man, must be the dignified one. He was bald and from what she could tell, wheelchair bound. The woman was beautiful, red hair framed a stunning face and her eyes were studying her a little to intently.

She immediately looked away and took a deep breath. The woman made her very uncomfortable. A hand took her own and she met Logan’s eyes with a grateful smile. “Logan, huh?”

He smiled back at her, “That’s me, darlin’.”

“Ah’m sorry Ah don’t remember.” she said softly.

He lifted one eyebrow and tilted his head. After a moment, his lifted her hand and kissed her palm. “You’re with me. Nothing else matters.”

The statement was slightly odd, but before she could ask him what he meant, the wheelchair bound man spoke. “What is the last thing you remember, Rogue?”

She frowned at the name, but since he was obviously speaking to her, she closed her eyes and tried to remember the last thing she had done. “Umm, well, I was at the pond by my house. George, David and Lorraine were with me. We were swimming. David had just asked me out. And… that’s it. I can’t remember anything after that until I woke up here.”

The bald man frowned and closed his eyes. “Are you sure?”

After thinking for a moment, she nodded. “Yep.”

He nodded and she twined her hands together, but the movement didn’t sooth her. It felt like something was missing. She took a deep breath and glanced at him. “Has it really been ten years, sir?”

He met her eyes and gave her a gentle smile. “Yes. Please call me Professor.”

She gave him a smile back, but a moment later, winced slightly. Massive pain hit her behind her eyes and she started to shake as she felt as if her brain were being invaded. She started to hyperventilate and squeezed her eyes shut. But a second later, she opened her eyes and fixed the red-head with an intense stare. “Get out of mah head. NOW!”

The red-head staggered back as if stuck, blood trickling from her nose. She let out a soft whimper and clutched at her head. Marie thought she heard Logan growl, and his hand tightened on hers. She looked at him hesitatingly, but saw his eyes on the red-head. His face was hard and for a moment, confusion took over. But when she look back to the woman and saw tears of pain running down her face, the professor at her side, she gasped and lifted a hand to her mouth. “Ah’m so sorry. Ah didn’t mean ta-”

“Don’t apologize to her, darlin’. You were just defending yourself.” Logan looked back to her, lifting a hand to touch her cheek. She searched his face almost desperately, making sure he wasn’t angry.

“But Ah don’t understand. Mah head, something was wrong. But then Ah just knew that she was doin’ it. Ah wanted her to stop, but…” she looked down and fisted her hands in the sheet that covered her. “Ah didn’t mean to hurt her.” she said softly.

“We know.” The professor spoke from her opposite side, his face suddenly tired. The red-head was sitting down in a chair, her head in her hands. “Jean?” he said expectantly.

She raised her head with a pained groan and met Marie’s eyes, her own bloodshot. “I’m sorry. I never should have done it without your permission.”

Marie gave her a small smile in acceptance of her apology but was still confused. The professor sighed slightly, “I think it would be best if you left for now, Jean.”

Jean nodded and shakily stood, exiting the room. When the door closed behind her, Marie turned to the professor. “Please. Tell meh what just happened.”

“Jean was being a bitc-”

Logan started, but was cut off by the professor. “-Jean was…” he sighed and rubbed his temples. “There are many things you need to know. But the most important would be for you to understand that Jean is a mutant. A telepath. As am I.” He gestured to Logan, “Logan is a mutant as well. He has many gifts, but the most prominent would his healing.”

Marie looked to Logan and studied him. He stared at her steadily, his face unreadable. When she gave him a slight smile, he closed his eyes for a moment and tightened his hand on hers. When a sudden realization struck her, she turned back to the professor. “Am Ah…” She trailed off, unable to finish.

He gave her a slight nod and a sympathetic smile, “Yes. You are.”

She let out a gasp and shook her head. “Mah daddy said that mutants are a bunch of freaks. He said that they should all be shot. He wouldn’ta liked meh being a mutant.”

Logan growled slightly, drawing her attention. “He didn’t darlin’. When we met, you were in Laughlin City. Hitchhiked your way there.”

A sob caught in her throat and she suddenly found herself wrapped in Logan’s arms. His scent enveloped her, calming her immediately. But she didn’t let him go, staying in his arms.

Xavier and Logan looked at each other over her head and Xavier gave a slight nod. “I will return in a couple of hours, Rogue.”

She nodded against Logan’s chest and heard the whirring of his chair as the Professor left. The room was silent, the only thing she could hear was the beating of Logan’s heart. When a sudden thought hit her, she lifted her head and looked around. “Is there a mirror in here somewhere?”

He gave a slight smile and nodded, standing. Helping her to her feet, he supported her as he led her to an adjacent bathroom. When she stood in front of her unfamiliar reflection, she knew immediately that she wanted to know the woman who stood in her place.