They say that when your life changes you wont notice it. But I think they were wrong. It’s been four years since my life has changed. For the good I am still very unsure, but so far I would say it has been, in a weird sort of away I guess. You see, it’s been four years since I found out about my mutation and three since the Liberty Island incident, when my mentors biggest foe kidnapped me and forced me to do something that not even Hitler himself would do. But that’s another story for another time. Right now however I am discussing the present and a little bit of the past but you have to understand the past to become fully aware of the present.

After the Liberty Island incident Logan did leave to ‘find him self’ I guess you would call it that. But what he found didn’t make him any happier about the man he had become today. He told me later on by the mansions lake that he must have been given a second chance when he lost his memories, because the life he led back then was something he is still very ashamed of today. But anyways back to my story line. You see when Logan did return he didn’t tell a soul about his findings up by Alkali Lake. Except for me, and that’s were it all began.

He had been drinking heavily since his return and by doing so he pushed me away which I for one was not going to let happen. I mean it was me the one person he swore he would never give up on no matter what the cost (particularly his life). So I thought it was my right as that one person to know what was going on in his life. I mean it made perfect sense to me then, but now I see the error in my ways.

Logan told me horror stories that people couldn’t even phantom in their dreams. But made all the since to me once I slowly put his scattered puzzle pieces of a memory together and in the end like all mysterious puzzles every thing came into picture, and I figured out what really happened to the Wolverine eighteen years ago. I still shudder at the thought that he could have done those terrible things to all those innocent people….

He was sitting on the park bench by the lake (which quickly became our favorite spot to sit and be) slowly polishing off a case of good old Molson when I had come up to him. He probably new I was coming down the deer worn path about the time I had started walking on it. But I didn’t care so I sat down next to him and picked up a Molson and started drinking with him. I new he liked his privacy and that in the end if he really wanted to he would tell me what was up with him.

He eventually talked to me around the time the sun started setting in the west right over the lake. I listened with great interest but never interrupted; I just listened and sipped my Molson. He talked for well over more than an hour until he stopped and said the three words I thought I would never hear from any person I cared for.

“I love you” and he looked at me with such sincerity I believed every word he said. But I was foolish then unlike now. But I, being stupid back then, said the only thing that came to mind.

“I love you to,” and on that lake during the setting sun I gave all of my self to him. No one had any idea until three months later when Logan asked me to move in with him that we had decided to be together. Not even my two best friends and room mates had any idea that for three months Logan and I had been making love in his room almost every night. Or that most of my stuff had slowly been accumulating in his room since that evening on the lake.

No one except for Jean Grey or Jean Summers which ever you would like to call her. Apparently she couldn’t figure out why Logan had stopped the advances on her and had found more and more of his time occupied with me (when even though she was married to a very handsome, prodigious, and did I mention team leader of the X-men.) So she did a little snooping around and found me slipping from my room into Logan’s every night, and then heard the ever so loud noises of me and Logan’s love making.

But she didn’t say anything. So two weeks later I was moved into Logan’s room and we became the newest (and probably the biggest scandal of the year) couple. But I don’t think the biggest shock came until almost nine months later when right after a terrible battle against the brotherhood (which caused me to obtain some serious leg injuries, which Logan quickly healed, but still hurt) and everyone had gathered in the med lab getting fixed up or helping people get better did Logan do the one thing I believed he would never do. He pulled me up into a sitting position on the med table (me still in my hospital gown) and got down on one knee and confessed his undying love to for forever. I didn’t think I could be any happier than that moment.

Some people stood in shock when Logan pulled out a black velvet box with Tiffanies written across the top in gold looped letters and opened it to reveal a diamond ring I had mentioned wanting in a magazine six months earlier.

It was made out of adamantium created by the second best crafter of that metal in the world and embedded in the precious metal was small diamonds and sapphires incased in jade. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Every piece of the ring had some significance to me in one way or another and I don’t think I had ever cried happy tears before that day. It was all a blur except for when Jean pulled every one out of the reality I was living when she entered the room with some test tubes and dropped them upon seeing Logan on one knee with a ring in his hand. After that every thing seemed like a dream.

The wedding was held the next winter on December 13th by the lake which had frozen over, and Storm made it so that even though it was freezing out side we were all warm. She even made it so that it snowed while we were saying our vows. It was the most beautiful wedding procession I had ever seen. Every one wore black or white even the bride’s maids with fur coats over their dresses and instead of flowers they had white fur gloves. Even the boys pitched in. Bobby made beautiful ice sculptures of swans and Lotus flowers and even one life size version of me and Logan together in our wedding garb. Gambit and Jubilee made it so that once we were officially married that small explosions went off behind us, and Pyro made sure all of the food stayed hot while the wedding was in progress, and Scott cleared away snow with his laser beam eyes, and multiple duplicated himself enough times to be the waiter and some of the other helpers. Everyone put a little help into the wedding.

We had all of the girls be flower girls and the little boys were their escorts. It was the most precious thing anyone had ever seen. Logan and I were so happy then, we went up to Canada for a couple of bliss filled weeks. We never did leave that cabin Logan had built one spring ten years ago. I sigh now thinking of that wonderful moment in time. But like all things it passes with time.

Logan and I had been married a year when things changed for us. We were doing our usual nightly routine of getting ready for bed. I had become an English teacher at the school and had just finished grading last weeks papers and Logan had just finished his finale training class that always seemed to run late because their was just so many people in it when we heard the shouting next door. You see all teachers had a special hall way to themselves, and all of the married teachers stayed in suites next to one another. Scott and Jean Summers lived to the right of us and Peter and Kitty Rasputin lived to our left. Some times both could be loud but that was okay because Logan and I were never quite that quit ourselves.

But it was right after Logan had gotten out of the shower when we heard the commotion to our right. Apparently Jean threw a book at Scott and Scott was screaming at her. But whatever happened (apparently from Logan’s strong hearing) Scott was leaving because Jean wanted him out. So Scott packed his bags and headed out for his sports car in the down stairs garage. Over the years Scott and I had become great friends so I thought it was only natural for me to find him and convince him to come back home and sort things out with the one woman he loved more than life it’s self.

So I pulled on my sweater kissed Logan on the cheek and told him I loved him and would come home as soon as I had convinced Scott to come back. He agreed that that was a great plan and kissed me back and told me he loved me and always would no matter how terrible our fights got. I responded by telling him I new that and would never forget it either.

So that night I followed Scott to a hotel in New York. It was the one he always stayed at when he had to stay over night up state for long periods of time when he was working for the Professor. I followed him to his room and in his room Scott broke down telling me Jean wanted a divorce because their marriage wasn’t going anywhere. It had been five years and they still hadn’t had a child and that Scott was more concerned with the x-men than with her. So we talked for over four hours and by the time we finished talking and I had convinced him to come home it was near three in the morning. So we grabbed his bag and paid for the room and made our way home.

And this is where my story begins. I know it is still kind of in the past but it is where my life had finally changed for the last time I hope. We had come in from the garage and walked quietly up the stairs to the teacher’s hall way on the second floor. All was quite until we reached my room. It sounded like small screams and curiosity got the better of me and I pushed open the door. I should have never opened that door. Because, inside was our lovers were having sex in my bed. So I did the one thing I could do, I shut the door quietly and turned and left the room. Scott was in shock and wanted to run in and break them up.

“Why” I asked him.
“Because, they shouldn’t be doing that in your bed or any bed for that matter! I mean aren’t you going to go do some thing about it?” Scott demanded from me.
“No, it’s pointless to stop something that is already in motion. You should know that, no, Logan and Jean made a decision together to betray us. That is something they are going to have to live with for the rest of their lives.” So I continued my walking to one of the double rooms in the guest hall. That night was the first night I had ever heard Scott cry.

The next morning I told Scott of my plans to leave the school. Knowing he could not simply leave like I could, he decided to stay and be the reminder of what they had decided to do. So I knew Logan had an early morning work out and I didn’t have classes for that day, so I walked into my room which had been cleaned up quite nicely since last night and packed all of my belongings. Leaving my wedding ring on Logan’s night stand. I then had Scott carry my bags to his car and went to the Professor and told him the events that had happened the night before. He told me he understood and would have one of our new interns take over my classes until I decided to return. I thanked him and then bought a one way trip flight to the South. One place I new Logan would never find me. Scott drove me to the air port twenty minutes later because I had to make arrangements with a local hotel for my unscheduled trip. In the car ride Scott and I discussed what we had done that day when we were not in each others company.

“I gave her back the ring, and all I said to her was ‘I hope you’re happy with what ever decisions you make’ and I walked away. I think she read my mind, but I don’t care. I made sure though that I didn’t let out were you were going. But you better keep in touch with me.” Scott told me with a pointed finger and a some what serious grin on his face.

At the air port I gave him a weak smile and loaded on to plane Scott giving me a somber smile and a letter that I was supposed to read on the plane. On the plane I finally felt some what relieved when I sat down in my air plane chair. I put my carry on in the seat next to me and opened the letter Scott gave me. In it I found a small letter with Scott’s e-mail and private cell phone number, which he said in the letter that he was changing because he didn’t want to have any more connection with Jean. I thought that appropriate and then silently thanked him for being my friend through everything. Even when I thought I was being a coward for leaving when I should stay and be with Scott through our terrible ordeal.

I sighed again as I remember and then asked the flight attendant for a crown and coke. The flight was long yet relieving. I let all of my built of emotions wave over me and it is probably the only time I was ever completely happy during that terrible time. As I look back that was also the only time I was able to take a good look at my life and size it up. I concluded that my life in fact has been pretty much a wreck. First my parents basically disown me, I get thrown from a car at fifty miles an hour on a wet, slick, icy road and then I get strapped into a death machine to turn the rest of humanity into mutants. Personally my life is just a saddest place to be.

So when the plane landed, I grabbed my bags and hailed a taxi cab to take me to the Marriott Hotel. The city looked dirty and out worn, but lucky for me the Marriott was further out of town closer to the subbers. This to me was a perfect place to start a new life far away from the chaos I had left behind. The town was just like ever other small town, crisp, clean and just big enough were you could go around and not be noticed by that many people.

When I arrived at the hotel I was greeted with honest hospitality and was taken to my room on floor three. My room was large but small enough to be fitting for me. For I never really liked big places, like the mansion. I placed my bags away and took a bath in the large spa tub that was provided by the hotel. You see I never really spent my pay check that I got every month at Xavier’s. I put it into savings and a little into some investments that Scott said would do me some good in the end. I guess he was right, because I had put a hundred dollars on this one company and I ended up making around 50,000 dollars when I finally pulled out and placed the rest into my other savings account under my aliases name ‘Rebecca Charleston’, I don’t even think Logan knows about my aliases or my 50,000 dollars for that matter. I mean we both had secrets, I just think he ever thought I had any of my own.

I decided that since it was still early that I would call up a real-estate agent that Warn Warrington III (a.k.a. Archangel) had given me. The woman who answered the phone was very polite and more than thrilled to take me house hunting in the morning. I told her briefly what I was looking for and she told me she would ring my hotel in the morning around ten a.m. I believed that to be a time to start shopping for a new home since I was an earlier riser and that would give me time to read the paper and check out some of the neighborhood.

I left my room and walked down to the lobby where I asked the desk clerk were I might be able to find a taxi or a rent a car for that matter. He said if I would wait in the bar he would tell me when a rent a car would be available for me. So I nodded my head in thanks and walked politely to the bar. At the bar a handsome young man was serving drinks.

“What can I get for you today Miss?” he asked me with a sensitive smile, which I returned slyly.

“Crown and Coke please,” and I pulled up a bar stole and sat down place my purse next to me on the bar.

“Strong drink for a lady, but I like your taste” he told me with that grin again. I noticed then that his eyes were a dull blue, unlike Logan’s piercing green ones. But it was his smile that had grabbed my attention from the start. He handed me my drink and me being the only person in the bar at the time, talked to me. It was a light conversation, about the weather, things that were happening on the news, things of that nature.

“The car is here Miss” the desk clerk told me at the entrance of the bar.
“Thank you,” I replied.

The car was a small blue Honda civic, nothing out of the ordinary like the X-jet or Scott’s many sports cars, or even the Professors limousines. It was perfect, even if it was a rent-a-car. I drove around for awhile until I found the small house Warren’s real-estate friend had suggested I look at. It was painted a pale yellow with white trimmings and had a long porch, with rose bushes planted in front of it. Also on the porch there was a white bench swing with another matching chair to its right. From what I could tell, it was the perfect little house I had ever seen. So I decided to call the woman and tell her I would take it immediately, even if I hadn’t looked inside at all.

The woman didn’t believe me when I had told her that I wanted the house. It had been on market for months and everyone who had looked at it had thought it was too small or there were just too many things that needed to be done to it. But I figured it was a nice fixer upper and it would give me something to do that would keep me busy long enough to stop thinking about him.

Two days later I moved my suite cases into the little yellow house, and to my luck it was already fully furnished. Apparently, the old couple who had lived there previously had died together in old age and had one living relative who didn’t want any of the furniture, or anything to do with the little yellow house. I never ventured to ask why but the real-estate woman had said it was family issues. But I didn’t care to me the house was beautiful, perfect and simple. Just the way I wanted my life to be now with out Logan.

It took me what felt like forever to get that little old house back up to shape. Apparently the resident before me didn’t believe in home care services. All of the major appliances were extremely out dated and most didn’t work so I had to call the local repair man Phil to come over almost everyday and help me fix one thing or another. Phil was a nice young man in his late twenty’s with short red hair and hazel eyes and other than that pretty much average. By this time I had started using Rebecca my alias as my real name and I had told every person who asked that I used to live up north in a big city and thought it was just time for a change.

Most of the residence of the neighborhood believed my story and thought it was a good one at that. I even got a job at the local school as a High School English teacher. Everything seemed perfect in the two months that I lived in Castlemann, until I started feeling sick in the mornings. Eventually I figured out what was wrong.

I called Hank McCoy (a.k.a Beast) and asked if he wouldn’t mind flying down to Castlemann and giving me a once over. However I strictly told him that no one was to know about his little vacation and except for Scott and the Professor. Only because those were the only two people who at the time new of my present location. He said he would be down right away. I didn’t expect him to come that soon but what ever made the Beast happy was okay with me.

When he arrived at my doorstep Scott was with him. I was so excited to see him standing there next to Dr. McCoy; I nearly plowed him over with a crushing hug.

“Hey sugar, how are you?” I asked Scott and I ushered him and Hank into the small living room.

“I’m doing okay. Trying to get past the whole Logan and Jean thing but getting by nevertheless. What about you? This place seems perfect for you?”

“Same as you Ah guess, just trying to move on. Ah mean don’t get me wrong Ah love the mansion and everyone their, its just too hard to look at those two and have to remember everyday. Ah mean Ah guess Ah’m just not as strong as you are when it comes the ‘Logan and Jean thing,’” I told him with my fingers in the air which made the whole conversation lighten up a bit.

“So Ms. Rogue I guess we should have a look at you now shouldn’t we? Now you say you haven’t been feeling well lately my dear?” Hank asked me in his usual professional tone. I nodded in response to his question knowing full well what the symptoms that I have been having really mean.

“Hank Ah am pretty sure that Ah’m pregnant, but Ah just want to make sure that Ah’m right before Ah go and start making a baby’s room and everything ya know?”

“Of course my dear I completely understand your reasoning and I would gladly assist you,” Hank told me with a slight sadness in his eyes. I knew what he was thinking ‘poor Rogue’ pregnant and the fathers off sleeping with someone else wife.

“You’re pregnant? Are you going to tell Logan?” Scott asked me with a worried expression on his face, even if I couldn’t see it in his eyes I could still tell by the way his jaw tightened.

“No. Logan lost that right the moment he slipped into bed with Jean. If he really wanted to know then he should of kept it to a one woman show,” Scott gave me one of his famous smirks and then I allowed Hank to follow me to my new bed room so that he could properly test me. About thirty minutes later we came back into the living room. Scott was standing by the fire place looking at some of the pictures I had brought with me and framed. Some were of us together on the fourth of July others of Jubes, Kitty, and me skating on the frozen lake last Christmas that Bobby had so generously frozen for us. Happy memories before the world became too crazy to even want to indulge in anymore.

“So what’s the verdict Rogue?” Scott asked me another smile on his face as he was still remembering the fun we all used to have together.

“Ah’m going to be a mommy!” I told him with a happy smile on my face. Scott came up too me a pulled me a hug bear hug and kissed the top of my head. I do believe at that moment I was truly happy for the first time since the ‘Logan and Jean thing’ as Scott and I so proudly call it.

That night Hank and Scott stayed for dinner but had to leave shortly after wards do to the fact that they both had lives they needed to get back too. However the both promised that they would visit me every month. Hank so he could give me regular check ups and Scott so he could make sure I was still getting along just fine.

And they did for the next seven months they both came back and caught me up on all the last news from the school. Apparently Scott and Jean divorced which reminded me that I needed to send my signed divorce papers to Logan. Scott was now romantically involved with Storm who knows about me but not where I am located which I told him was perfectly fine. Kitty and Bobby were to be married in the next two coming winters (who would have thought Iceman marrying in the winter). I was giving an invitation from Scott from them and I told him I would try and attend so save me a seat. Jublee had finally found some one that was just as crazy as her. His name was Gambit and a thief from Louisiana. Then there was Logan and Jean and from what Scott told me not everything was looking to good in paradise. Logan apparently moved out and was roaming the cold terrain of Canada again and Jean had taken a sabbatical and was in Washington almost full-time now. I laughed at that. It was almost perfect poetic justice with a slight hint of irony.

Never the less, almost exactly nine months to the date Hank had me flown to back to the mansion so that I could give birth to my beautiful son Tristan. Who looked like the spitting image of Logan. Except when it came to his hair he had jet black hair that had a tiny little strip of white of to one side. Which to my dismay made me roll my eyes at when Hank placed him in my arms.

“He’s absolutely adorable!” Jublee had squealed when she and the others came to visit me down in the med lab a couple of hours after I had given birth to the new light in my life.

“He’s perfect,” Kitty said as she took her turn holding him cooing to him softly as he wiggled about in her arms.

“We were so worried about you Rogue, especially since we didn’t know if you could touch the baby or not,” Bobby told me as he took his turn rocking Tristan.

“Ah new Ah would be able to touch him, Ah mean he is mah own flesh and blood and all,” I told him with slight sarcasm in my voice which he noticed and smirked at me.

“Okay people Mommy and Baby need some rest, you can all see them later,” Scott told the small cluster of people who had gathered at my bedside.

“Hey Scott, can you come here a minute?” I asked him as he was ushering the last of people out of my room.

“Yeah sure what do you need?” He asked me.

“I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind being Tristan’s godfather.”

“Rogue I would be beyond pleased to be able to do that for you,” Scott said with a hug smile on his face.

“Thank you” I told him as I nodded off to sleep, who new birth could be so tiring?

This time when I left the mansion I got to take something with me. I never thought having this little; tiny creature could do so much for me as a person. I never thought I could love Tristan as I had loved Logan. He’s perfect in every way, which is sad really because he is almost a carbon copy of Logan. Even now as he rest in his basinet, it took me nearly till three in the morning to get him to go to sleep. Just like Logan had been, restless till the moment he couldn’t keep his eyes open and sleep took over his body. Now as I look at our son lying there peacefully in his cradle I don’t see Logan any more I see a bigger and brighter future, and that scares me a little. Because, I never thought I would have to see the day when there would be no Logan to help me bring up our son.

Hank had given me the idea for Tristan’s name. As legends say, Tristan had been an English warrior who fought bravely and honorable with his men to stop the harsh punishments of their Irish owners. It was said that he had eventually fallen in love with a girl who to a normal Englishman would be untouchable. She had apparently been the only daughter of the Irish King at the time. When Tristan and she had fallen madly in love they did everything they could to try and not love each other until all they could do was love each other. In the end Tristan died trying to protect her and his England the Irish princess left on a boat and was never heard from again.

I told Hank that Tristan was perfect. Because, the story of Tristan reminded me so much of the sad story that made up mine and Logan’s relationship. Except Tristan would be stronger and would be braver than us and he will fight for love until there was nothing left to fight for. I guess all in all the story of Tristan even slides into Xavier’s dream for undying love for all that is human. I don’t think realized how significant my son’s name had become to me.

Tristan will always be the reminder of the love that Logan and I had once shared and when I look at him I will love him just like I love Logan. Unconditionally till the day I die. The sun is rising and I can already tell that Tristan will be up in less than an hour, but I can’t help but stare at him. He is perfect my son.

As the day’s moved on Tristan seems to be more and more like his father every day. His mannerisms keep getting him into trouble however. But I just can’t seem to reprimand him for the natural things he does. Especially if his own father does them, even if Tristan is aware of them or not.

Kitty and Bobby’s wedding is in three days and I have been asked to be the maid of honor. I am so excited for them; it is a long time coming. I know they will make each other every happy through out their lives together. Scott picked up this morning in the black bird. Tristan loved every minute of it. Scott even let him sit in his lap and hold the wheel (with the ever so guiding hands of Scott of course.) It was an adorable sight; Storm even took pictures so that she could use them for black mail later in life.

When we finally landed we got a huge welcome. Kitty, Bobby, Jubes, Gambit and the Professor were all waiting for us. I had to hand Tristan to Storm before Kitty and Jubilee tackled me to the ground.

“I am so excited you are here! This is going to be the best weekend ever!” Jubilee squealed as she hugged me.

“You’re telling me I am the one getting married here!” Kitty stated to us with more enthusiasm than I have seen in her since well ever.

“Well at least Ah know Ah’m missed around here,”

“Missed, girl that was an understatement. We totally died while we were gone, we were a hopeless mess!” Jubilee told me with a dramatic show of her hands.

“Yes Rogue we have missed you very much since you were last here. Now I have set up some things for you in one of the guest rooms, seeing as how I don’t think Tristan here would be very comfortable sharing a room with Katherine and Jubilee,” The Professor told me as we headed upstairs to the main building.

“Ah think you are quite right Professor and thank you for setting things up for me,” I told him as I took Tristan back from Storm. He gave me a knowing smile that always seems to make its way across the Professor’s face. At that moment I realized how much I really did miss stay here at the mansion.

Scott was placed in charge of showing me to my room so I could unpack Tristan and mines stuff. The room he took me in was not what I was expecting. The room was actually two bedroom, one with a master bedroom the other a nursery.

“We set it up right after Tristan was born. We wanted you both to know that you always have a place here no matter what happens,” Scott told me as he set my suite cases down.

“It’s absolutely lovely Scott,” I told him as I placed Tristan down on the floor who was learning how to walk. Hank had told me that do to Logan’s primal instincts, that is was probable that our son would to have those same instincts. So his child development was probably going to be much faster than other children his age. So here he is just barely over a year old and trying to walk. Hank thinks it absolutely fascinating. Seeing as how Tristan is one of the first documented children of two parents who obviously carry the mutant gene.

“Well I’ll let you get settled in and dinner is at seven as usual,” Scott said as he walked out the door. I finished the quick unpacking of our bags and then laid Tristan down for his afternoon nap. I decided to freshen up and take a quick shower and then change for dinner.

After my shower I dressed in one of my now usual dress. Long sleeved navy blue dress with white stockings and white kid gloves with black heals. I did my make simply as usual and then pulled my hair up into a knot of the top of my head. After I checked my self one more time in the mirror I went to go and wake Tristan up and take him to dinner.

At the dinning hall I relieved to find that Scott had so kindly set up a place for Tristan and me to sit at the adult table. He even had a high chair seated right next to my chair for Tristan.

“Hey Roggie! We were just talking about you,” Jubilee said to me as I placed Tristan in the high chair.

“Yea and what about me?” I asked her as I seated my self next to Scott and Strom.

“That you totally need to come back and stay here for awhile you know for the summer, once school is out,” Kitty filled in for Jubilee.

“Ah don’t know, Ah mean what about mah house and all of mah things?” I asked them.
“You know we could easily have some one take care of the house for you for the summer,” Scott piped in as he ate some of his mashed potatoes.

“Ah don’t know Ah would have to think about it,” I told them honestly.

“Just think of it as a summer vacation. I mean Tristan would always have some one to play with and we miss you. Not seeing you for months at a time is so boring,” Kitty told me as she poked at her roast.

“You know she is right Rogue. A vacation wouldn’t hurt you or Tristan for awhile,” Storm commented.

“Fine, fine Tristan and I will come here for the summer. Now will ya’ll stop badgering me and finish dinner?”

Dinner was extremely pleasant for the rest of the evening; we all discussed everything from Kitty’s wedding in the next two days to the political aspects going on in Washington over the MRA. To say the least is was really relaxing.

The next couple of days were a blur. Kitty’s wedding was beautiful. Bobby had made ice sculptures of the two of them and some others of Swans and other beautiful things. Storm even made it snow again for the wedding (a tradition I think she’s going to continue doing) and multiple even became the waiter for the evening. The food was delicious and the cake even more splendid. Kitty and Bobby looked so happy together as the floated across the dance floor during their dance it almost broke my heart remembering my own wedding. However after Kitty and Bobby left on their honey moon to Alaska (of course some place cold apparently Bobby feels more comfortable in colder climates) we all headed to the sitting room to have a late night nightcap.

It was Jubilee, Remy, John, Scott, Storm, Xavier, and Hank and of course me and Tristan who was playing with some blocks on the floor in front of the fire John had lit for us. The atmosphere was priceless. I almost didn’t want to return home after such an event but like most things life must go on.

“So I hear you and Tristan will be staying with us for the summer, I am very glad to hear that. I think it would do you both some good to be with people who love you as much as we do,” Xavier told Rogue as he sipped his brandy.

“Ah think Tristan would really enjoy it too. Especially if he does manifest then he won’t feel so much like a freak like we all did when we first manifested. Ah think this way he will be able to feel like it’s a normal process.”

“You know that’s a really good way of looking at it Rogue, I mean from the physiological viewpoint of course,” The Professor added while he finished the last of his brandy.

“Well it’s getting late I should take Tristan to bed so we can get an early flight from Scott,” I told them as I moved over to the floor to pick Tristan and his blocks up. The rest of the group continued their earlier discussions as I headed up the stairs to our room.

The next morning I had Tristan and I packed and ready to go by eight o’clock. We went downstairs and had a light breakfast and then had Scott pack our bags into the Blackbird while we said our goodbyes to our friends and family. The ride was short on the Blackbird and quite most of the way home. Scott and I talked little but he did tell me he was excited about my return to the mansion this following summer.

When summer finally came it was a hot one just like every summer before that. We did go to the mansion for the summer just like we told everyone we would. In fact we went there every summer for four years. Tristan was now entering kindergarten and could already read well for a child his age, thanks in part to Hank who helped him every summer. Hank adored him just as much as everyone else in the mansion. Eventually people started saying he had become like the mascot for the school. Everyone loved him and wanted to play with him. Personally I think it was because they could show off their mutations and have someone be amazed and want to see them do really cool tricks. Nevertheless Tristan became a widely known name around the X-house.

However this summer seemed to be turning for the worst. Two weeks to mine and Tristan’s arrival to the school Jean decided it was time to return to the school. Apparently she hadn’t taken it too well when she found out that Scott had proposed to Storm. So she had apparently been spending a lot of time trying to convince Scott to come back to him and trying to tell Storm that Scott really never loved her and was only using him as a back-up plan until Jean would return. So when I arrived it seemed like all of hell had broke loose. The tension in the house was like that of almost six years ago. It was almost like déjà vu. But I stayed anyways against my better judgment to help Storm and Scott out with the Jean thing.

It was early June however it felt like mid July so today the Professor decided we all needed a break. So he threw a huge Bar-B-Q and Swim party. Every mutant who ever new the X-men were invited. Jubilee was unfortunately in charge of watching Tristan so I could have a chance to play with the adults for awhile. But she didn’t mind too much in fact she was surprisingly good with him. Then I heard it the one sound every mother could never miss hearing.

“Mommy” was heard being cried out from the front of the mansion. Figuring it was nothing to serious I only slightly rushed to were him and Jubilee had gone for a break.
I had started picking up pace when I heard his sobs from the main entrance and didn’t even notice the two adults in the room when I turned the corner and picked him up into my arms and coddled and hushed him till he quit crying.

“Baby what’s wrong? Tell mommy what happened?” I asked my son as he sniffled his reply.

“He growled at me,” and then I think hell froze over at that exact moment. Because only one person would come to Xavier’s and growl.

“Um… I’m going to go… well I’m just going to go,” Jubilee said as she almost ran out of the room. Probably so that she could go and tell the others of the drama that was about to unfold in the entry way. I turned then to face the man who had made my son cry.

“Do you always have to be such a jerk? Ah mean come on why growl at a five year old? Geez Logan grow up,” I didn’t even wait for his response as I turned and walked away back to the pool where everyone had situated. I was almost home free when I felt his hand on my shoulder.

“Marie… I,” he had a look of complete confusion on his face as he looked from me to Tristan and then back at me.

“What Logan?”

“I… I think we need to talk,” he finally managed to get out.

“You have had the last five years to talk to me Logan,” I spat at him with such venom. I don’t think I realized how much I really did hate him for what he did to me and Scott.

“Well it was kinda hard seeing as how you just up and left me without a word.”

“I thought the leaving of the ring and the whole me leaving stated it loud of enough. But apparently your head was so far up Jeans ass to notice that.” I turned from him then and continued to the pool. He followed me of course but when we got out there everyone had gone silent. I went over and sat down next to Scott and Storm who asked if I was okay and I just nodded. Scott took Tristan from me and started playing with him in the water.

“Scott could you watch Tristan for awhile Ah need to go lie down for a bit? Ah think the sun is getting too much for me in this wet suite.”

“Sure go take a nap and I’ll bring him back up in a little while for his afternoon nap,” Scott told me with a little worry in his voice.

I stood up from the pool and made my way to mine and Tristan’s room. I could feel him following me with his eyes as I made my way back inside. When I finally reached my room I was so relieved I opened my door and walked straight for my bed and just fell on top of it. I was almost asleep when I heard his voice.

“We need to talk Marie,” Logan said.

“Rogue, my name is Rogue. You can’t call me Marie any more and as far as Ah’m concerned we have nothing to talk about.”

“Is…is he mine?” The question was so simple so selfish and it just made me madder. After all these years not ‘I’m sorry’ not a ‘how’ve you been?’ no all he wants to know if my child was his.

“Well I am glad you’re still thinking of your self Logan, good to see you haven’t changed. But if you must know yes he is your son. But like that matters now does it? He’s been your son for five years and that hasn’t changed you or the fact that you even cared enough to find out if you even had one.” Silent tears were running down my face now and that infuriated me more than his stupid question.

“You’re mad at me for asking if he was my son. You know it would have been great if you would have at least told me! It’s not like I new you were pregnant or anything” Logan yelled at me.

“You didn’t deserve to know! Not when your dick is buried six inches into that little slut! So tell me was she better than me? Uh? Tell me what was so good about her that you had to ruin everything we had on that stupid whore!? Tell me what she had that I didn’t!” I don’t know when I got off the bed and had moved to stand in front of him screaming into his face, but it felt good to get the chance to yell at him.

“She wasn’t better. I was afraid,” Logan said quietly.

“Great you ruin mine and Scott’s lives because you were afraid! That’s really priceless Wolverine, just fucking priceless. The big bad Wolverine afraid, tell me exactly what were you afraid of uh? Afraid you would never be able to fuck your precise red head? Or that she wasn’t me?” I was beyond pissed now. First I thought I was just mad because this was something he was bringing up five years later. But now, now I’m just plan pissed off.

“I was afraid we would end up like them. That we would be them in five years,” Logan told me as he looked away, shame written all over his face.

“So you thought the best thing to do was fuck Jean? Great logic you’ve got there Wolverine,” I was slowly coming down from my high on madness but I still wasn’t convinced that fucking Jean because he was scared was the real reason for his betrayal.

“No it wasn’t, but I did it so that I wouldn’t have any more doubts about our relationship. There would be no more what if’s for me. I wouldn’t be wondering what life would have been like if we hadn’t gotten married because of my crush on Jean. It would just be me and you for forever,” he had gotten really close to me now his eyes looking straight into mine. Suddenly I knew he was telling me the truth and I could almost stop being so mad at him.

“What do you want from me Logan?” I asked him quietly as I looked at him with a tear streaked face.

“I want us to be able to start over again. I dead without you Rogue; I have nothing left to live for. I’ve been wondering around the states for three years trying to find you. But apparently I needed to find my self first before I needed to start looking for you. That’s when I figured out that you are what’s keeping me going and have kept me going for the best part of a decade. You are my everything; my past, my present and hopefully my future. I want you back,” He was on his knees now begging me to give him something anything. If I walked away right now I would be giving him his death sentence. But if I allowed him to come back in I would have him to my self for the rest of eternity, Tristan would have a father figure in his life again and a some what normal family. But could I allow the one person back into my life who hurt me more than anyone else in the world?

As I looked down at Logan who was on his knees begging me to start over with him and to give him one more chance I couldn’t help but feel helpless. I was at a huge crossroad with my self. This was the only man I had ever loved, the only one I wanted to be with for the rest of my life, the father of my child. He was also the man who cheated on me with another man’s wife.

“Logan how can Ah ever trust you again? How can you say you love me one day and then the next day fuck another woman? How do Ah know you won’t do this to me again? Ah have a child now and Ah have to place him first when it comes down to it. You are no longer the number one priority in my life. Ah’ve moved on and have created a wonderful life. What can you say or do that will change the fact that you hurt me more than any one else in the world. You hurt me worse than when my parents asked me to leave and to never come back. At least they had a valid excuse to ask me to leave. You, you were just afraid of your self.” I looked down at him then with disgust. How dare he ask me to come back now after all these years?

“Ah don’t know if I will ever be able to forget what you’ve done Logan, even if Ah do decide to forgive you in the end. You ruined me on that day Logan, you took that small flame of hope that Ah had left and burnt it out without a second glance at what it might do to me. And for what? So you could fuck someone else’s wife, how pathetic. I’m sorry Logan but an apology just isn’t going to cut it this time. Ah mean what kind of mother would Ah be to allow a man back in her life that cheated on her? How will Ah look in my son’s eyes when he finally finds out the horrible truth about what his real dad did to me? Tell me that Logan? Tell me how I’m going to explain it?” Hatred dripped from my voice as I asked him these simple questions I new he wouldn’t be able to answer. All those years of hiding out because I never thought I would be able to face him like this seemed to be so pointless.

“I know you will never be able to forget about what I have done to you. I should have been the person I promised you I would have been. Even if you were pregnant or not and I know that and apology wont be the only thing that will fix this mess that I have created, but I was hoping it would be a start.” He spoke softly to me as if I had broken every last part of his being. He stood up slowly as if in defeat which I had never seen him do before I all the time we had been together. He looked at me then his eyes showed me that he really did want to start over. But deep down I knew I was just plain scared out of my wits.

“Visits,” I said abruptly not even realizing I was saying it at first. But I don’t think I could handle him walking out of my life for a second time.

“What did you say?”

“Visits, you can make visits. Tristan needs a father even if he is a jerk,” I got a smile and a huff from that comment.

“You can visit one weekend a month until Ah say other wise, you got it?” I wagged my finger at him with a raised eyebrow I know I got from having him in side of my head for so long. “And seeing as how we come here every summer and you will probably being staying here now. Because you now have a son and need to have a permanent residence and job, you can see him for the whole summer with conditions to the activities in which you two will do, okay?”

“Anything you say darling,’ but what about you and me?”

“Logan you don’t even have a chance with death with me at the moment. You just need to worry about your son for awhile okay?”

“I understand, parent first and foremost,” he said with a smile.

“Now will you excuse me Ah have to go and break it to my son that the man who made him cry is actually his dad.”

I finally found Tristan eating a hot dog with Scott and Storm under a big oak tree in the shade. He didn’t even notice me coming up to him until I was almost there. When he did take notice of me however he ran to me and hugged my legs.

“Hey honey did you miss Mommy while she took her nap?” I asked picking him up into my arms and swinging him over to one hip.

“Yea, Uncle Scott and Aunty O made me hot dogs and red cool aid, and Uncle Scott threw me into the water like five times and then we played tag around that tree over there,” he told me pointing to the tree that Scott was now standing under and Ororo still sitting under. I smiled at Scott and mouthed a thank you which Scott nodded to and sat back down next to Ororo.

“Sounds like you had a great time sugar. But hey Mommy needs to tell you something really important okay?” I looked at my son with my ‘serious face’ as Jubilee so pleasantly put it.

“Okay Mommy.” I looked around and notice Logan standing off in the distance staring at us with great intent. I knew he was probably listening to our every word but it really didn’t matter.

“You know how you always ask me about your Daddy?” He nodded at me the same way Logan always did slow and understanding.

“Well do you remember that big scary guy who growled at you this afternoon?” He nodded again this time looking up at me.

“Well you see that big scary guy really isn’t that big and scary. He only looks that way, and anyways, I just wanted to tell you that, that man is actually your Daddy,”

“Well you see that big scary guy really isn’t that big and scary. He only looks that way, and anyways, I just wanted to tell you that, that man is actually your Daddy,” I looked at him expecting the worst but instead he just looked at me like he was still kinda processing it all.

“But Uncle Scott says he’s a stinky old bear like that one guy from the T.V. and Aunty O says that’s because he sleeps outside with dirty little…” but before my son could finish his little rant I managed to cut him off.

“Well sweetheart that’s technically only partially true but he really is your Daddy and he would like to start seeing you now if that’s okay with you?” I asked him giving Scott and Ororo an evil glare, I’m trying to make my son at least tolerate his father and what does the two people he trust the most do? Slander his name around, even though I can understand them. Especially since Jean has made it a point in making their lives miserable.

“I guess that’s okay, but do I have to call him Daddy?” He asked me with a slight stubborn look on his face that read Logan all over it.

“No sweetheart you don’t have to. But maybe one day you will alright?” He just nodded at me and sighed too much like I do when I have to do something I’m really not in the mood to do.

“Why don’t you go over there and see if maybe Logan would like to play with you for awhile? Maybe that would be a good place to start?” I asked him pushing some of his unruly hair from his face.

“Okay but can I still play with Uncle Bobby and Aunty Kitty later tonight?” I had almost for got about tonight. Bobby and Kitty were going to rent ‘Over the Hedge’ for Tristan tonight so I could play with adults.

“Yea baby just tell Logan to take to the media room by seven okay?” I told him as I kissed his forehead and nudged him towards Logan.

“Okay Mommy,” he yelled to me as he ran towards Logan who had squatted down to talk to him. When they both turned to wave goodbye to me I couldn’t help but see how much the two of them looked alike. I finally understood what Jubilee told me the other day when she said ‘man if he keeps this up I’ll become your new daughter-in-law’ that was right after Tristan growled for the first time at dinner when I told him he couldn’t have anymore roast until his potatoes were gone. I waved goodbye and headed over to where Scott and Ororo still sat under the tree.

“So I can tell you must have had a great nap,” Scott mocked at me as he watched his god son walk off with enemy number one on Scott’s to kill list.

“It was time that he knew the truth Scott, I can’t keep hating him forever and Tristan needs a father figure other than you in his life. Especially someone who will be able to fully help Tristan understand what kind of stuff he will eventually be feeling. We both know that Tristan is more like Logan than he is me, and one day Tristan will go through some of the stuff Logan goes through everyday.”

“Eww…. I can see it now Logan teaching Tristan how to growl properly and stomp around like the world is out to get him. Now that is a sight I just can’t wait to see. Two Logan’s walking around the mansion sulking all day long until he has a nice beer and a good fight or fuck under his belt. Yea Rogue great role model for you kid,” Scott said as he rolled his eyes at me.

“Scott, now that wasn’t a very polite thing to say to Rogue. She is only doing what is best for her and her son, and she’s right you know. Tristan is almost like a carbon copy of Logan, and with Logan’s help then maybe Tristan wont stomp and sulk and fuck all day long. Maybe Logan will show him that those aren’t exactly the best way to go about things. I know Logan isn’t the brightest star in the sky but I doubt he would allow anything to horrible happen to his kid.” Storm told Scott with a pointed finger. Rogue was so glade she had Ororo on her side and even more glade that she was engaged to Scott because now he would have to respect her wishes or wind up on the couch.

“See Scott I’m not a complete idiot like you think I am just looking out for the future of my son. I mean we all know he’s going to have Logan’s habits with or without Logan’s presence. I mean he growls at me and Jubes all the time. Especially if he doesn’t get two helpings of meat at dinner time. So at least give me a little credit,” I pleaded with him.

“Fine I’ll go along with you little plan for Tristan’s sake but that’s it. It doesn’t mean I have to tolerate the bastard or anything and I won’t be nice to him either!” Scott protested to us as we both smiled at him and rolled our eyes. Some times our fearless leader can be such a big stubborn baby.

“That’s all I’m asking from you Scott, that’s all.” I told him with a smile as I watched Tristan and Logan from a distance.

Eventually the three of us adults made our way back to the mansion so we could set up our annual poker party that we always threw on Saturday nights. Storm and I made the home made pizzas and other deserts that we would eat during the game. The guys set up the card table and set up the cards and chips and drinks for everyone and placed chairs around the table and then waited for Storm and I to finish the food.

After the food was ready everyone filled up their plates and then placed themselves in their designated positions around the table. However, to everyone’s dismay, during the second round Jean Grey decided to make an appearance right next to Scott, and slowly everyone at the table watched as WWW III took place.

Jean had asked to play a couple of hands and of course we being the honorable X-men that we were said yes. Pete had gone and gotten her a chair and when he returned she took it from him and squeezed himself on the left side of Scott, Storm was on his Right and I sat across from Scott. For two hands Jean would lean way to close to Scott for Storms comfort I observed and she would ‘accidentally’ brush up against him and then the bomb dropped and the whole room fell silent. Jean dropped a card in Scott’s lap and she grabbed not only the card but part of Scott who leapt like fifteen feet into the air.

“Oh how clumsy of me dropping my card, I’m so sorry Scott,” she told him all innocent like but as I looked from her to Storm I noticed Ororo just staring at her, her eyes had little whisks of foggy looking white stuff frothing around in them, and that’s when I new she had crossed the line.

“Jean can I have word with you for a moment in the kitchen?” I asked her before Storm did something irrational like kill her on the card table in front of five witnesses.

“Sure Rogue, is something wrong?” She asked with fake innocence everyone could read off of her.

“I would say so!” Storm shouted at her as she stood up knocking her chair over in the process. Apparently I was too late to stop the confrontation between Storm and Jean. I guess it was just inevitable.

“I don’t think I quite understand what is going on here? I mean I just dropped my card by accident, is that a crime I’m not aware of?” Jean asked with stupidity everyone knew she didn’t really posses.

“Jean you completely groped Scott in front of everyone! And don’t think I haven’t notice your inability to stop flirting with him. It’s almost like your begging him to take you back! Why can’t you just find a man and stick with him instead of bouncing off other women’s men!?” Storm yelled at her, her eyes the purest shade of white I’ve ever seen.

“Storm I think you’re completely over reacting and maybe you should chill out for a moment or two and think this thing through,” Jean advised Storm which to everyone in the room probably wasn’t the best thing to do. Because the next thing that we heard was lighting hitting a tree out side.

“CHILL OUT! I’LL SHOW YOU CHILL OUT!” Storm screamed at her and with her weather manipulating abilities used the wind to break the windows and sucking Jean out into the night throwing her body into the yard like a rag doll. We all of course ran to the window. All except Scott of course who was trying to get Storm to stop trying to kill Jean.

“I’m going to KILL that stupid little Bitch if it’s the last thing I do! How dare she think that she can just walk in and out of your life with out giving it a second thought about what it might do to you or to everyone else around you for that matter? I’m tired of having to sit around here and watch as that little slut tears up you life again and just tosses it away with out a second glance! I won’t stand for it for another minute!” Storm screamed at Scott as she pushed passed him and through the window to the spot where she threw Jean.

As we watched in either sheer amazement or horror (no one could tell the difference) as Storm picked Jean up by her shirt collar and began shaking her and screaming at her.

“How stupid can you be Jean? Thinking I would just stand by and watch as you flirted with my man. I don’t think so! Wake up and smell the fucking coffee Jean you aren’t the prize bitch around here any more! No one wants to watch you make a bigger foul out of your self again Jean so do us all a favor and let off other women’s men! Geez! At least once in your life think of the other people around you and not your self!” Storm continued to yell and scream at her and shake her body with all her might and furry. I don’t thin anyone of us had ever seen Storm that mad in her entire life. Even during battle she was never that aggressive.

“Storm I think Jean understands you now,” the Professor told Storm as he wheeled out on to the lawn. I didn’t know he could do that with his wheel chair. Storm just stood there for a couple more minutes and just stared at Jean with a look that could have possibly killed her. However Storm eventually dropped Jean stormed off to her room. I was about to follow when Scott stopped me.

“I think it would be best if I followed her. Seeing as how this may lead up to some amazing dominating sex,” Scott told me as he gave me one of his rare devilish grins.

“Ah completely understand, go for get tiger,” and with that he was gone leaving me and the rest of the gang to pick up the little mess Storm made. However from the state that Jean was in I don’t think she will be perusing Scott or any other taken man for that matter for a long time.

Chapter Seven
After cleaning up the mess from Storms little rampage, I slowly made my way back to the media room to pick Tristan up and take him to bed. When I arrived however the scene before me wasn’t quite what I had been expecting. Kitty and Bobby and apparently fallen asleep on the couch, but it seemed that Logan had decided to join them for the movie and Tristan had fallen asleep on Logan’s chest while Logan sat there and just watched Tristan sleep, not paying any attention to the movie.

“Logan Ah think maybe it’s time to put him to bed,” I whispered softly to him as I went to reach for my son.

“Oh okay, I’ll carry him up if you don’t mind. I just don’t want to wake him up just yet,” he explained to me as he moved to stand up. I just nodded in return, in all actuality Tristan was growing up to be quite big and I don’t think I would be able to carry him up the stairs without waking him up.

The walk up to our room wasn’t too horrible. In fact in was rather nice having another parent around to help out with Tristan. Once Logan had Tristan lying in his little twin bed I took off his shoes and pulled the covers over his small body and tucked him in and gave him a kiss. In a sleepy state Tristan whispered, “I love you Mommy” and then snuggled in deep into his bed and fell fast asleep. I crept silently over to his closet and put his shoes in on the closet floor and guided Logan out of the room and shut his door quietly.

“So did you and Tristan have fun today?” I asked walking to my vanity to take my earrings out.

“Yea we did actually; you did a really good job Marie. He’s a great kid, gotta lot of potential.” He told me almost sadly.

“Thanks Logan, but Ah didn’t do too much. Actually he’s almost exactly like you even with my influences. So it wasn’t too hard. Give him extra meat at dinner only if he finishes his potatoes and peas first. He can’t go outside and play in the garden or climb the trees until he reads some. He even started growling at Jubilee last Christmas. Now that was a shocker to everyone. He’s your carbon-copy Logan. Everyone says so. So, likeAhI said, he’s not that hard to handle,” I finished taking off my jewelry and started taking my hair down so I could brush it out.

“He really does all that? Ummm… Marie would it be okay if you told me a little bit about, you know the stuff I missed?” He asked me with such innocents I couldn’t help but smile a little. I really was glade that he was taking an interest in Tristan.

“Well Ah really don’t have all of my photo albums with me. But Ah do keep all of the photo albums here that contain stuff that has happened here at the mansion.” Standing up from the vanity I made my way to my closet and pulled down a box from on the shelf in it. Placing the box on the bed I pulled out three photo albums. I motioned Logan to sit next to me on the bed so I could better show him and explain to him what was going on in the pictures.

“This one is of his birth and the ‘birthday’s’ that Jubilee and Kitty through for him every year. Because, they don’t get to see him on his birthdays.” I flipped through the pages and pointed to the picture of me giving birth to Tristan, I could feel the sadness rolling off of him as he looked at the picture. Scott was holding my hand and smiling and I was screaming and pushing. You could even make out Hank’s blue head at the bottom of the picture.

The next picture was of me holding Tristan for the first time and finding out he was immune to my skin. I was crying happy tears as he slept in my arms. There were some that were just a bunch of pictures of Tristan during his first couple of days on Earth. Next we came to his birthday parties; one was a cowboy themed and Scott was the cowboy and Bobby and St. John were Indians, another was super hero’s and everyone dressed up like their favorite super hero except for Scott and Bobby who dressed up in their x-men uniforms. That was my favorite one. On his third unofficial birthday it was magic and we had everyone going around and using their powers as shows. Then on his fourth we had a beach party which was really fun because we actually brought in really sand from the beach and put it all around the pool.

“Okay this next one is of Tristan’s holidays; such as Christmas and Easter.” Flipping through this one I showed him some of the really neat stuff he got for Christmas and how the beast dressed up as Santa for Tristan’s benefit. I got a chuckle from Logan when I showed him Beast in the Santa suite.

“Okay now for this last one, it’s just a bunch of random pictures taken during the summer and when ever we come to visit here. Like Kitty and Bobby’s wedding, the introduction of the new x-men, graduation’s and stuff like that.” There was so many in this album and so many memories that I had forgotten. It took another hour for Logan and I to finish this album however by the end we were both laughing at the funny stories that had followed them.

“Thanks Marie.”

“For what Logan?” I asked him with a smile still on my face from laughing at pictures.

“For letting me back in, if only a little. I know what I did to you was hard and very selfish of me, but I’m glade that you’re at least allowing me to be with my son.” It was pure honesty on his part and it saddened me to know that he really did want to be apart of all this, Tristan and I that is. I felt regret pass through me at that moment. For the first time I actually regretted all of my decisions of keeping Logan away from Tristan. But that soon passed as I remembered his betrayal.

“Logan you could have been with Tristan all along, all you had to do was be there. Ah just don’t think either of us personally was ready to see each other again. Ah don’t think Ah could have handled it if you did show up.” I sighed and moved to put the albums up.

“Your right, neither of us was quite ready yet. But I think we are ready now or at least starting to get ready again,” It was almost a plea coming from him.

“Getting there is more like it Logan. You’ve missed so much. Tristan will be five this year and starting kindergarten. If any thing this is going to be harder on him than anything. He just too young to fully understand the situation at hand, he thinks you’re just another one of the students with a bigger title attached to your name. It will take along time for him to fully understand who you are in his life. But if you keep up hanging around with him maybe one day you will be the one he calls daddy. But until then you’re just going to have to take it slow.” I pushed the folded the box up and placed it back on top of the closet were it had been originally and then turned back to Logan who was looking at the floor, his hands folded in his lap. It reminded me of me when I was younger except the places where switched.

“I’ll do whatever it takes. I promise Marie I will be a good father, I will.” It was almost as if he was making the promise to the world and not just me and him self. It was like a testament to who ever could hear him and I smiled at that.

“You know what Logan, you probably will, in time that is,” with that he stood up and we said our goodnights and he left my room. I sighed to myself and finished getting ready for bed. This was going to be a long summer.

However to my dismay the summer went exactly how I had predicted it. Jean had decided that Gambit was her new target. Apparently she hadn’t completely understood Ororo’s message when she said stay away from ALL taken men. Because if she hadn’t realized Gambit was really to busy perusing an already wanting Jubilee and had been at this time been doing it successfully for years. So when Jubilee noticed that Jean was starting to spend a lot more time with Gambit she through a Jubilee sized fit. Especially, during one of our last breakfast at the X-house for the summer.

Jean had taken it upon her self this morning to sit on the other side of Gambit at breakfast. This little noticed gesture lead to Jean getting a black eye and a broken nose from Jubilee when Jubilee notice Jean placing her hand on Gambit’s arm and openly flirting with him in public and right in front of Jubilee. To say the least Jean made a quick escape to the Med Lab and then another to her room where she packed her stuff and made a quick trip back to Washington. However, Gambit and Jubilee decided that during Jean’s little get away they would do some reconfirming of their relationship. Which seemed too had lasted all day long.

“Remember the days when that was us?” Logan asked me as I was sitting outside watching Tristan play in the yard.

“Yes ah do but ah also remember that unlike Gambit you eventually did run off to Jean and ah was the one to flee.” I hadn’t really meant for it to come out as harsh as it did but deep down even though he is trying to fix his mistakes in life, it still hurt and with the day’s events that hurt seemed to hurt a lot more than usual.

“Well, at least now we know who was right about Gambit. He is smarter than he looks,” that made me smile and bring back the memories of Gambit trying to peruse me. Logan and I had gotten in to a horrendous argument about the morals and brains that actually made up the man that was Gambit. Now I guess we know who won that battle.

“Lets just say it was an argument Ah would have liked to have lost,” I gave him a sad smile and continued my watching of our son.

Deep down the scene that was playing out before me was one that I had always hoped for. Logan and I sitting on the porch watching our children playing in the backyard and we are talking about old times and what not. However, this wasn’t exactly how I had imagined it. Logan was still mine in that particular fantasy. Nevertheless these day’s I take what ever I can get to something that resembles normalcy.

“Marie… I know you and I are still kinda rocky right now, but I…I was wondering if it would be okay for us to you know go out sometime. You know you, me and Tristan, just the three of us?” He was scared and I knew it, I knew deep down he had originally wanted to just ask me out but was scared too, scared of my rejection of him.

“Sure Logan that should be fine. Where would you like to take us?” When I looked back at Logan I couldn’t remember seeing him smile like that in a long time. His whole face lit up to my response and I was glade that it was me who once again got to see it and put it on his face.


“I’m not sure some where nice I guess.”

“Well sugar we really can’t go to some of the place you and I usually went when we were together. Ah do believe Tristan is a little too young to be going to a bar. So some place where they have a kids menu would be nice.” I suggested to him with a smile. It seems like every time we talk about something it brings back old memories of Logan and I together before the ‘Jean thing.’

“Okay then can I pick ya’ll up at say six and then maybe catch a movie?” He asked me with pleading eyes.

“Sounds good to me,” I smiled at him and then we just kind of stared at each other for a couple of moments. Making it feel like it was the beginning of our relationship again.

At exactly six o’clock Logan knocked on our door. Tristan was overly thrilled to be going out with his new friend Logan. I still don’t think he quite understands that it’s his father but at least he thinks of him as a good friend now. For the last month all he does all day is either hang out with Logan or talk about Logan. I have begun to think that Tristan is hero worshiping him like I did all those years ago when I was the one he was saving.

Logan took us out to a nice restaurant that had a fun atmosphere that Tristan could enjoy while Logan and I talked some. It was a little awkward at first. It kind of felt like a date because when Logan wasn’t entertaining Tristan he was talking to me and his eyes were so intense that it scared me a little. It was like I could see in his eyes, that yes he was trying and that he did want this, wanted us.

After dinner Logan took us to the old cinema and there was a showing of some of the older movies. I was a little skeptical at first until realized we were going to see one of the old Superman’s. Tristan was beyond thrilled, because he absolutely loved superman. I always wondered if it was because I am an ex-superhero. But I doubt that. The movie was fun nevertheless and Tristan fell asleep half way through the movie. Logan had to carry him out to the car and placed him in the back seat while I sat in the passenger seat. When Logan finally jumped in to the driver’s seat of the Suburban Xavier had lent out I knew I had to say something so we didn’t have to sit in uncomfortable silence.

“Thanks Logan we had a good time. Maybe we can all do it again sometime. Ah mean Tristan had a blast,” There I broke some of the silence. I looked over at him and noticed he had on his poker face. He used to only give me that look when he didn’t want to display his real emotions.

“I’m glade ya’ll had fun. So when do ya’ll leave for home again?”

“Saturday, Tristan starts school on Monday so ah wanted to get him home at a day before so we could unpack and get some of his things for school, you know stuff like that,” I yawned and stretched a little in the car.

“You know if you need any help you can call me you know, I hate knowing that you had to take care of him by your self Marie,” I was completely shocked. I hadn’t realized he wanted to help that much and he called me Marie again. I wasn’t excepting this to say the least.

“Well, if you wonna help with Tristan Ah’m not going to stop you Logan. It’s only fair; he’s your son too and Ah wouldn’t want to stop you from being a part of his life Logan, and speaking of which. Are you still going to come and see him for a weekend once a month?” I had turned to look at him hoping he was going to say yes, because if he didn’t it would break Tristan heart.

“Of course I am.”

“Good, well the, how about you come over the last weekend of every month. You can also come over for his birthday and well we always come up here for the holiday’s so if your traveling then we can always meet back at Xavier’s for the holiday’s and that way we don’t have to worry about who gets him when,” I thought that sounded reasonable enough.

“Really? Sounds good to me, I thought it would be like a day or something once a month.”

“No Ah think it’s time you two shared some more time together, and anyways if it all works out the maybe after next summer you can take him for a week or something as long as you make sure he gets his homework done and gets to school on time. Then maybe next year we can move on to that and then the year after more time and what not.”

“I would like that a lot, thanks.” I swear it almost sounded like he wanted to cry, but don’t I couldn’t be sure.

“Your welcome,” by the end of this conversation we are pulling into the driveway of the mansion and parking ending our conversation. Logan went and got Tristan and carried him to his bed just like last time and I thanked him again for the evening. He just said thank you for every thing and walked off. I thought the evening went pretty well as I crawled into bed and went to sleep.

Saturday came and Tristan was upset as usual. He always hates to leave to go home. He loves the mansion so much and everyone in it, its ridiculous sometimes. I gave Logan our address and he is supposed to come up on the last weekend of every month till August of next year. I just hope everything works out, for Tristan sake that is.

He was there every weekend at the end of each month. He never missed his time with Tristan. Even on Tristan’s birthday he was there, bought him his first bike and was showing him how to ride it. He was there on Christmas too. Everyone was surprised to know that in almost six months Logan had been a perfect father to Tristan. At Christmas he bought Tristan his first sports equipment, and when I mean equipment I mean equipment. He bought him all of the stuff one would need to play ice hockey or street hockey and football even some boxing equipment. Apparently Logan wanted Tristan to join some of the little leagues that the school was offering to set up during the school year. So at Christmas I got set up. I was afraid that something might happen to Tristan during one of his sport activities like gain his mutation or accidentally hurt another player do to his aggression that he received from his dad.

But Logan took me aside after Christmas dinner and explained to me that Tristan had been talking to him about it for awhile and thought it would be best to at least get him some of the stuff for Christmas so even if I did say no, he could still teach him how to play.
“Ah know Logan, but Ah wish he would have talked to me about it too ya know? Or at least you would have so Ah would at least have some sort of warning. I know he’s six now and most of the boys his age are starting to play in little leagues and what not but ah’m just afraid that he’ll manifest early or something.” I told him telling him of my worries. It has become easier these past months to talk to him about stuff concerning our son. I told myself that no matte what happened between Logan and I, Tristan still needed a some what stable family life. Most children now a day’s have divorced parents or at least separated ones at that so some of his friends understand why we are separated. Well at least the mother’s at the school do because most of them are that way or are in the process of coming to the dark side as most of the mom’s who are divorced say.

“I know I should have told you. But he made me promise not to tell you because he thought you wouldn’t let him. He knows you worry a lot about him Marie, and your right you know when you said he was advanced for his age. He is really mature for his age and smart too. But I really think it would be a good idea to at least let him play some sports. Even if his mutation does manifest it wouldn’t be too terrible. You can always come back to Xavier’s so he can get help just like you and all the others did.” He does make appoint of this subject and I start to mull it over in my head. Tristan does deserve a good childhood even if it could trigger an early manifestation if something happened to him.

“Fine he can play but you have to help him practice. Ah’m just going to be the support system, you know make signs and stuff. You’re the one who’s going to have to help train him though and be at all of his games. If you don’t show up to his games it will upset him a lot.” I point at him just to make sure that if Tristan is going to do this he has to be there for him no matter what.

“I know Marie, I really do. I can talk to Chuck and make sure to tell him that I can not go on any missions why’ll Tristan have a game or practice. Unless it is a huge emergency, like if the mansion is being attacked or the president is going to be assassinated, you know stuff like that. I think you would understand that wouldn’t you?” Damn him, I know he’s right. Sometimes he won’t be able to make every game or practice but at least most of them. I forgot about that whole saving the world thing he’s started doing again.

“That’s fine but your going to have to be the one who tells Tristan that you can’t make it. Seeing as how you’re his new best friend and all,” I had started making fun of Logan ever since Tristan’s writing assignment in class. He had to write one page paper describing his best friend and stuff like that. When Logan and I went for parent-teacher night at the school we got to his paper. Let’s just say the teacher really didn’t understand why Logan was wearing a leather uniform and had claws. We had just told her it was a costume he had dressed up for, for Halloween last year. She bought and that’s all she needed to know. So ever since then I’ve been making slight jokes at him about it.

He just smiled at me after I told him that and he messed up my hair and went to go find Tristan so we could tell him the good news. I walked back inside the main room where everyone was playing with their gifts. Kitty was now three months pregnant with her and Bobby’s first child and they had gotten baby gifts except for Bobby who had surprisingly gotten a box of cigars from Logan. So he was talking to Kitty all flabbergasted by the present.

Scott and Storm had gotten manly wedding presents, their wedding is in the three weeks and Storm has been absolutely glowing since November. Gambit got Jubilee a bunch of sex gag gifts for Christmas. Everything was in yellow and she even got him a new trench coat, I bet you can’t guess what color she got it in for him? Yep, you’re right yellow. He looks absolutely ridiculous in it but he hasn’t taken it off yet. I wonder when he’s going to finally tie the knot with her. Then there’s my son who is trying very hard to put on his new gear Logan got him so he can go out side and practice ice hockey. Bobby promised him that he would freeze the lake over after breakfast so he could practice with everyone. So this day has actually been one of the best days of my life. One of the one’s where you’ll look back and remember and never forget.

Later that night I sat by the fire and drinking some hot chocolate like I do almost every Christmas. Tristan was already put to bed an hour ago so I took this moment of silence to think about something’s in my life.

“What are you thinking about?” Logan asked me as he made his way to the couch I was currently occupying.

“Nothing and everything, I guess. Really just events that have happened recently, stuff like that.” I shrugged my shoulders and made room for him to sit next to me of the couch. He sat down and slouched his body and through his arms over the back of the couch an unlit cigar hanging loosely in his mouth.

“That’s a lot to be thinking about this late at night.”

“Yea ah guess so, but it’s nice just to sit quietly for a moment and think about the things you don’t normally think about,” I sighed and sipped my hot chocolate.

“Yea I know what ya mean,” he paused for a moment and then looked over at me. A serious expression had crossed his face and for a moment I thought something was wrong.

“I know this is kinda out of the blue and all. But would it be okay if… well… if you would like to go out on a date with me. You know like a real one,” I stopped sipping my hot chocolate and turned to look at him. This past year we had finally gotten over the “Jean thing” and I have been able to call Logan my friend again. Maybe not as close as friends as we once were but close ones nevertheless. A romantic relationship with him would once again open that door that I promised to never open again, for any man for that matter. But I couldn’t help but look at him and see everything I had ever wanted, ever loved and that in it’s self made my heart ache again for him. Then I said the two words I thought I would never say to him again.

“Okay, Logan,” and then I saw that smile again, the one that only Tristan and I can put there on his face.

“Great! Umm… how about I pick you up around say seven,” he asked me with that smile that just didn’t seem to want to leave his face.

“That’s fine Logan, I’ll see you around seven then,” and with that he was gone. Probably thinking he should leave before I changed my mind.

At exactly seven o’clock Logan appeared at my door. I had gotten Scott and Ororo to look after Tristan for the evening. Scott was a little wary when I told him I was going out with Logan. But Storm just gave him that look she gives all of us when we are acting childish and he quickly changed the subject to Tristan. Storm was overly excited and had wondered when Logan and I were going to start going out again. She explained to me that no matter what either of us said we were both still in love with each other. So it was about time we finally admitted it. I just rolled my eyes at her and said my thank yous and returned to my room.

Logan took me out to a nice restaurant where there were checkered tables with soft lighting and candles on the tables and a violinist played in the corner. We talked and laughed at each like in the old days before I grew up and he hadn’t fucked Jean.

“You know I am really glad I came,” I told him as we walked through the park.

“Well, I am glad you came too,” he told me with a laugh and then he held my hand and I acting like a stupid young girl actually blushed. Geez… why do I always seem to blush when he does stuff like that. You would think that after a couple of years I would get over it, but no I just can’t seem to shake that particular habit.

We finished our walk around the park and made our way back to were we parked the car Logan was opening the door for me and holding his hand out when he stopped, grabbed me and threw me into the car.

“Logan what’s gotten into you?” I asked him with concern on my face and then I saw them. A black, unmarked van pulled up beside us and four large men jumped from the vehicle.

“Marie run and don’t turn back you got that,” I nodded and moved over to the front seat of the car as Logan started to fight off the four armed men. I started the car when I noticed Logan had gone down. That’s when I new I had to choose would I stay and fight and help Logan and maybe us would both get captured and then Tristan would have no one. Or would I run and protect our son and then go out and find him? I already knew the answer. Then I whispered to myself for only Logan to hear. “I’m sorry Logan…” and then I drove off before the men took notice of me.

I drove up into the driveway of the mansion at an extremely fast speed and quickly put the car into park and jumped out of the car leaving the door open and the motor still running. I busted into the main door of the mansion, panic and fear still racing through my body. I ran into the media room where I knew most of the people would be at night. Luckily for me Scott and Ororo where sitting on the couch and Tristan was apparently already upstairs asleep.

“Rogue what’s wrong?” Scott asked me as he stood up from the couch and started to make his way towards me. I was still slightly panicking and my answer came out a little fast but I told him anyways.

“Well, after dinner Logan and ah decided to take a walk around the park and when we were getting into the car a bunch of guys in a black vehicle jumped us and Logan pushed me into the car and told me to go and well I think they got him.” I said it so fast I wasn’t sure if Scott actually heard everything I said but I think he got the jest of it.

“Okay I’ll wake the professor and see if we can get Cerbro to track his movements. Everyone else suite up and meet in the map room immediately,” We all nodded and we all started to make our way to the locker room downstairs so we could change for the up coming mission. I took a slight detour upstairs to Kitty and Bobby’s room and gave them the debriefing on what was going on. I asked Kitty if she would watch Tristan while I helped out in the search and rescue.

Down in the locker room Storm kept giving me side way glances and mostly everyone dressed in relative quietness until we made our way to the board room. Once we were all seated around the holographic map in the center, the professor and Scott entered the room. Scott was already dressed in his leather uniform and was in complete leader mode.

“Rogue I don’t think it is a good idea for you to be here, especially if something happens.” Scott told me as he seated himself on the other side of the map table.

“Well Scott thanks you for your request but ah don’t really care at this point. ah am the only one who can find Logan other than the Professor or did you forget that ah have a lot of him up there,” I pointed towards my head “and anyways technically Tristan and ah are all he has left in this world, so ah only think it’s proper for someone in that family to be there when he gets rescued. Now please shut up and tell me where he is!”

“All right I see your point, now the professor has used Cerbro and has found out that they are heading west towards Canada. I am assuming that the men that have Logan are from a government agency who might possibly want to reopen Weapon X. Now if we hurry we might be able to track them before they disappear. The professor will be using Cerbro to stay in contact with Logan until we can’t trace him anymore. Okay everyone to the Blackbird,” and with that we all got up and made our way to the Blackbird which was already being readied by Jubilee.
As we all sat quietly in the Blackbird I kept thinking to my self “what if the manage to escape our radar and I never see him again?” this thought kept running through my mind making me fidget and start to panic again. That’s when it hit me, Ororo was right. I am still in love with him. Maybe not as much as I was when we first met and it was still new, but I was in love with him not matter what happens I will always love him some where deep down. After that realization hit me is when I really started to panic and started to bark at Scott and Jubilee who were piloting the Blackbird.

“Can’t this stupid piece of junk go any faster?”

“Rogue we all know you are worried but this is one of the fast aircrafts on the market. So please be patient we are literally going as fast as humanly possible.” Scott told me in his call leader voice which I was starting to rather hate at this moment.

“Alright everyone the professor has just said that they have finally stopped. It seems they are at an old government base in the middle of Canada.” Scott addressed to us as he rerouted the plane into the right direction.

“Of course it’s going to take us a little while together so everybody just hold on tight for now,” Jubilee commented as she helped Scott set the correct course, but some how I new that comment was directed at me. So I just slumped in my chair and crossed my arms and fumed at the fact that it was taking way to long to get to his location.

It took us nearly two hours to get there by jet. When we arrived however, it looked like Fort Knox. There was guards every where and if there weren’t guards there were camera’s and unfortunately for us once we took a closer look all of the guards of course were caring automatic weapons. So Scott divided us into two teams Storm leading one and him leading the other. I was on Scott’s team along with Jubilee, Storm had Colossus and Gambit.

Scott took out a small portion of the fence with his eye beam and then we had Jubilee take out some of the camera’s by frying them with her fireworks. All was looking up for us. It seemed like these guys were complete idiots when it came to protecting their base. Of course like most things we were extremely wrong. Apparently they had techs who check the camera’s regularly and sent some people out to check out why the camera’s were suddenly going out across the outer perimeter. Like I mentioned of course they did which meant we get to kick a little ass. Well I am over excited because well I’ve been a school teacher and a mom for the last six years, so ass kicking was not a top priority. So I got to actually play a little and let me tell you. It was so much fun kicking bad guy ass!

Anyways, Scott had ended up blowing a large hole into one of the sides of the bases by accident. Once of the guards tried to knock him out with the butt of his gun but instead knocked off his glasses and well some how we ended up with a hole in the side of the base. Well, that kinda alerted the whole building so Gambit and I took it upon ourselves to just rush the building.

We had finally made it to the lower levels of the base and Gambit was talking to me about how amazing it was that I hadn’t practiced in years but could still keep up with him.

“Well sugar is comes from years of training my self and having a few trained experts in this kinda thing up in my head. So ah’m pretty much just letting those guys up there have a little fun for a change.” I told him with a smile as we ran towards the elevator that would apparently take us to the area in which they were holding Logan. During the elevator ride I calculated it that Logan had been ‘missing’ for a little over six hours now. I started to panic again when I realized how much damage those men could do to him in that short period of time.

When the elevator opened with a little ding we moved out silently into the main hallway. We counted ten plastic prisons luckily no one was occupying them or this mission would of changed from a missing person return to an evacuation mission, and personally I don’t think the Blackbird could hold all of us and I also don’t think we would be able to get everyone out of there alive. So we continued our silent almost stalking stance down the hallway until the corridor spilt into two.

“Gambit take the left you petite take the right,” Gambit whispered to me as he lit a card and made his way down the left side. I had picked up one of the soldiers guns during the small skirmish upstairs and I got down low and started my way down the right side. I decided that through out this whole sneaking around we hadn’t told Scott or Ororo were we had gone. So I whispered onto my com-link.

“Cyclopes, Gambit and I have moved down to the lower levels Gambit has gone west and I have moved east down the corridor. No sign of any persons at the moment.” The link was quite for a long moment and for a second I feared the worst until I heard static on the other end and then his voice shouted on the other through what seemed to be rapid gun fire.

“Alright I’ll join Storm’s group, she’s moved to the north side of the building. When Wolverine is located convene back to the south side until further notice. Be safe Rogue.” Then the com-link went dead, and I continued my trek down the hallway till I heard a loud roar from the far left lab.

I jumped when I heard that sound, I would know that sound anywhere in the world. It was the Wolverine. I’ve only heard it twice since I’ve known Logan. First time was when he was saving me on Liberty Island, the second time was during a mission and some moron decided to stab me in the gut. Let’s just say he didn’t live much longer. I was amazed to say the least; it had only taken them seven hours to release the Wolverine. I decided that if I was going to die trying to bring him back I might as well call in for some back up.

“They’ve released Wolverine. Ah repeat, they have released Wolverine, ah need back up immediately.” I whispered into my wrist as I heard glass break and a couple of yells from the lab.

“Sorry petite but Gambit got his hands full. Looks like Gambit found out where they were hiding all of dem soldier’s.” Great, just great, then I heard Scott.

“Yea sorry Rogue but were really tied up here for the moment. Storm watch out!” Then my link went dead again. Damn! This was not good, not good at all.

So I decided to be a good X-men at that moment and crept closer to the lab’s main door way. I peered through the glass window and saw Logan, no correct that, Wolverine lying on a metal operating table. His hands, feet and waist were tied down to the table by what looked metal clasps. I grimaced as I remembered some of Logan’s dreams where he had been strapped down and then slowly cut open so that the Doctor’s could pour the liquid adamantium on to his skeleton. Then I noticed that one of the Doctor’s had stared to insert something into the side of Logan’s neck and let out another loud roar at the pain of the sudden invasion to his neck.

I couldn’t take seeing him like that anymore. I stood up from my crouching position and opened the door and moved into the lab. The Doctor’s didn’t notice me at first and I was able to take out the two guards that were watching over the procedure. When the Doctor’s did take notice of me one of them grabbed a scalpel and started towards me. However the other Doctor decided to release Wolverine. Apparently he had just implanted a chip into the side of his neck that would force Wolverine to follow all of his orders. I took the automatic gun that I still had slung over my shoulder and shot the Doctor with the scalpel. He screamed in pain and fell to the floor in a bloody heap, I took my gun and shot him once in the chest and one more time in the head for good measure and when I started to turn and take out the other Doctor I felt three large metal spikes go through my abdomen and a hand grab my upper arm.

I screamed in agony as the three spikes I knew were Logan’s claws left my body and he pulled me to face him. I looked at him as I started too slumped down on to the ground. Blood was starting to gurgle out of the wounds that he had just inflicted upon me. Then I looked into his yellow eyes and let tears run down my dirty face from battle.

“Ah’m sorry Ah couldn’t save you this time Logan. Ah guess it was too late for me to tell you that Ah’m sorry that ah hadn’t realized that ah was still in love you. Do me a favor will ya? If ah don’t make it out of here and you eventually come back to us, will you take care of Tristan for me? Make sure he gets his shoes tied in double knots and stuff like that, okay?” Then I saw it, he blinked and I noticed small flecks of hazel coming through his yellow eye. By this time blood was starting to gurgle out of my mouth and I started to cough a little. Then I heard the other Doctor in the background behind Logan.

“Kill her Wolverine, she is the enemy,” and for a moment he hesitated and then he took his claws a rammed them into my stomach again making me spit up blood this time. I gasped at the sudden pain and grabbed onto his shirt and pressed my lips to his ears and whispered.

“Ah guess the old sayin’ was right. Love is like wine, with time it only gets sweeter. Like ah said before Logan, take care of Tristan for me if ah don’t make it and remember even if ah am to late, ah still love you and always will.” Then I kissed him and this time I didn’t feel that familiar pull and then all I felt was darkness.

I never thought I would see the day when I would be the one who would kill Marie. It was like the light had finally come back on after her little speech she gave me. I had heard everything she had told me but it was like I was hearing it but not seeing it or even being there. Then when the lights did come back on I wanted to crawl right back into the darkness. I had ripped opened her uniform and was touching her skin to skin but I couldn’t feel the pull. So I laid her down softly on the ground and took one of my claws and drove it into the side of my neck, damaging the little chip they had implanted into me. Then I made my way to the Doctor.

“YOU STUPID SON OF A BITCH! YOU MADE ME KILL MY WIFE!” I screamed at him and drove my claws into his chest making sure he felt it as I moved them around while they were still inside him. Then I let his body drop to the floor and crawled my way back to Marie. She was cold and her lips were a pale blue and her skin was pure white even through the smeared blood that covered her. I held her tightly close to my body just like I did all those years ago on Liberty Island. Except this time I was pretty sure she wasn’t coming back. Then I heard Scott on the com-link.

“Rogue! Rogue come in. Rogue are you there?” I picked up her lifeless wrist and talked back.

“Scott I need you to come down here. Rogue…..” I couldn’t bring myself to say it, I couldn’t even believe it. I killed her, the mother of my son. Oh God, our son, Tristan. I hadn’t even thought about him. What was I going to tell him, what were we going to do?

“Rogue’s what Logan?” I heard Scott yell back on the com-link.

“Dead,” there I sad it, “Rogue’s dead Scott. Come down here immediately, I need help!” I screamed back as I finally let the tears take over, I hugged her lifeless body closer to mine, crying into her neck babbling about how much I love her and can’t lose her now, not when I just got her back. Ten minutes later, which felt like an eternity to me I felt Scott’s hand on my shoulder.

“Let her go Logan. She’s gone, there’s nothing you can do.”

“No! If I just hold on long enough just like last time it will work, it always works! It will work, just wait, it will work.” I told him over and over again. Scott just looked at me with sadness written all over his face. Storm stood behind him and was silently crying, Jubilee was holding her and was sobbing. Gambit had fallen to his knees in shock while Colossus went over to help Scott removed Logan from Rogue’s body. Then they felt it. Rogue’s body began its familiar pull on Logan’s body. The other two just stepped back and were only slightly dizzy from there brief touch. Logan’s body had gone ridged and his veins started to pop all too familiarly, just like the last time he had touched her.

The girls had stopped crying and Gambit had moved to a squatting position as they all watched as Rogue slowly came back to life and Logan’s body slowly started to stop. That when Colossus suited himself up in his metal exterior and managed to pry Logan’s body away from Rogue’s so that she wouldn’t kill him. At this sudden movement they all watched as Rogue took a large breath of air and opened her eyes, and then she fell back down onto the cement floor and went unconscious.

“Okay Colossus can you carry Logan back to the Blackbird?” Scott asked back in his leader voice again. Colossus nodded and began to heft Logan on to his back to better carry him with help from Gambit they started to make there way back to the Blackbird.

“Good okay Storm give me your cape so I can wrap Rogue in it and carry her back to the jet. You two cover us okay?” Scott told Ororo and Jubilee and he took the cape from Storm and started to wrap Rogue. Storm went off with the guys back to the jet while Jubilee picked up the automatic gun Rogue was carrying earlier and covered Scott as they made it back to the jet.

Once everyone was back at the mansion Hank hooked Logan and Rogue up to a set of IV’s in the med lab and watched over their resting bodies. It was as if both were in some sort of comatose state and refused to come back to the world of living until everything was worked out. Kitty and Bobby kept Tristan through out the whole ordeal. It had been two weeks before Logan woke up.

“Welcome back my friend, I hope you slept well,” Hank asked him as he went to check his vitals.

“What happened?”

“Well my friend, it seems that after you killed Rogue you some how willed her to absorb your healing abilities. Truthfully though I have no really idea on what really happened. It was just like what apparently happened at the Statue of Liberty. It just took her body longer to heal this time due to the fact that she was already in a dead like state like before.” Hank explained as he messed with some dials on one of the computers that were monitoring Logan. Logan looked over to Rogue’s lifeless looking body lying next to him in a similar state that he was in earlier.

“Is she going to be alright?” Logan asked just barely above a whisper.

“Yes Logan it seems that she will be fine physically, but mentally we are still quite unsure. She did absorb more of you this time than she did the last time she touched you. So we will just have to wait and see.” Hank said as he moved over to Rogue’s body and started adjusting some of the measurements. As Logan was staring at her still form he heard voices coming down the hallway. A few seconds later Tristan came bounding into the room.

“Daddy your awake!” He screamed and jumped hosted himself onto Logan’s bed and hugged him. Logan realized that, that was the first time Tristan had ever called him daddy. He was so thrilled he took Tristan into a death gripping hug.

“Daddy your squishing me like Aunty Jubes does when I come here for the holidays!”

“Sorry kid just missed you is all.”

“Really? Good, because I missed you too Daddy. Hey Dad when’s mommy going to wake up?”

“Really soon I hope,” Logan responded as he looked over at Rogue laying there on the bed next to his.

“Good because she’s the only one who can tie my shoe in double knots just right.”

“Hey Tristan why don’t we let your Dad get some more sleep so he can play with you some more later. Okay?” Kitty asked him as she balanced her own little boy on her left hip. Her son Justin absolutely adored Tristan even if he was only three, and Kitty looked like she was about to pop due to the fact that she was seven months pregnant. I looked at her a mouthed a thank you and she just gave me a smile that said ‘I understand, I’m a parent and lover too.’

“Okay. I’ll come and see you later okay Daddy?”

“Okay sport see yea later,” and with that Kitty took Tristan’s hand and led him out of the med lab. Then Logan laid back down on his bed and turned his head so he could watch Rogue sleep.

It took another two weeks before Rogue finally woke up. Logan had taken over his new roll as a single parent quite well while Rogue was still unconscious. When she finally woke she found Logan and Tristan were at one of the tables coloring pictures.

“So how are my guys doing today?” I asked them as if I just woke up from a nap. They both stopped what they were doing and Tristan ran up and jumped on my bed and gave me a large hug.

“Mommy you finally woke up. I thought you were going to sleep forever like sleeping beauty did in that move Aunty Jubes made me watch yesterday,” he told me with a big grin on his face.

“Oh really did you now? Well didn’t you know sleeping beauty is supposed to get a kiss from her charming prince?” He just looked at me and then smiled.

“That’s what Daddy’s for, because I can’t kiss you. That’s gross,” I just rolled my eyes, when did kissing your mother ever become gross?

“Oh really and when exactly did kissing your mom become gross?” He never answered me but just laughed, that’s when I noticed Logan still sitting at the table, his eyes searching mine while his face held anguish on it. I sighed and looked back at Tristan.

“Hey sugar why don’t you go up stairs and tell Aunty Jubes Ah’m awake and that Ah’m starvin’okay?” I asked him, he nodded and scooted off the bed and ran upstairs to tell Jubilee the good news. Then I looked back at Logan.

“You know you don’t need to be upset.”

“How can I not be upset Marie! I fucking killed you!” He ran his hands through his hair and closed his eyes.

“But you saved me in the end so Ah don’t see why you so upset. Ah knew the risk, ah could have waited for back up. But Ah didn’t, Ah couldn’t just sit there and watch as they hurt you again Logan. So if anyone is to be blame it’s myself okay?” I told him as I crossed my arms and looked at him with stubborn eyes.

“No it’s not okay, every night I have to lay awake because all I can see is me killing you again and again. Stabbing you in the stomach and watching as blood gushes out of your mouth and then I hear you say all those things you said to me and then I kill you for sure the next time. Except this time I know you won’t come back to me. I’m afraid that one day I will kill you and you won’t wake up from it either.” He looked absolutely torn between staying with me or leaving me to keep me safe from him.

“Well, Logan Ah know how morbid your dreams can get. But you aint runnin’ form me again and this time Ah’m not runnin’ from you. Ah’m tired of us runnin’ away from each other. We have a son now who loves us both and we can’t do that to him, and anyways Ah love you so you have to stay or Ah’ll make ya, so either way you look at it you’re stayin’” I told him with a huff and continued my stubborn stare at him.

He just looked at me a small smile creeping across his face. He stood up after my little speech and came over and sat next to me on my bed.

“You know Logan Ah have escaped Death’s kiss more than once.” I told him looking to his eyes that were now hazel with no traces of yellow in them.
“Well then maybe Death should take a back seat for awhile and let someone else have a chance.” I smirked at him and let a smile cross my face.

“Yea and who exactly would that be, seeing as how who ever kisses me is filtering with Death him self.” He moved his hand so it rested behind my head his other hand lightly tracing the outline of my face.

“Well darlin’ you see Death can’t hurt me so I guess I would be the one who would kiss Death’s lips.” I smiled even more; Logan’s eyes had gone from mischievous to extremely intent and were looking right at me. My eyes dropped to look down at his lips and I licked my own just from habit.

“How about we just both stay away from Death for a little while, you know let Tristan have a chance to grow up a little.”

“Yea darlin’ I think I could handle that,” and with that he pulled him self to me and kissed me gently on lips. Yea I think we could both handle not dealing with Death for awhile.