Westchester, NY

"Wake up..."

Marie turned over and pressed her face into the pillow. She was used to hearing voices in her head, especially in the hazy, half-conscious state of sleep. Logan. Erik. David. This time it was Logan. She curled a little tighter on her side and ignored it only to hear it again, louder and more insistent.

"Rogue...c'mon, wake up."

She would have ignored that, too if it wasn't accompanied with a hand on her shoulder, shaking her firmly.

"Logan?" she called out, eyes fluttering open to find him sitting on the edge of her bed. He was dressed like he was heading out--flannels and jeans and his leather jacket. "Where are you goin'?"

"We," he clarified, staring down at her intensely. "I need you to get up and get dressed. I'm taking you out of here."

Marie rolled onto her back. She stretched a little, arching her back and wriggling her hips into a more comfortable position. "Why?"

"Just do it, okay?" he answered, impatiently throwing back the covers. His eyes flickered over her exposed midsection before he averted his eyes. Marie reached up to tug her t-shirt down as she pulled herself into a sitting position and looked at him.

"The Professor know we're leavin'?" she asked as Logan stood up. He paced her small dormitory back and forth, his eyes darting everywhere to take everything in. It was the first time he'd been in her room since she'd gotten it following graduation a month ago.

"He doesn't know where, but yeah," Logan answered, picking a pair of jeans off the floor. He tossed them at her, then pulled open a drawer and grabbed a shirt. He tossed that on top of the jeans. "We don't have time to play twenty questions..."

He stopped and stared at her again, somewhat desperately and Marie scrambled out of bed.

"Can I bring anythin'?" she asked as she picked up the shirt and put it on over the one she was already wearing. Double layers compensated for the fact she wasn't wearing a bra. Next, Marie reached for the jeans. There was no way she was getting those over the soft flannel pants she had on. She exchanged a look with Logan and he turned to pace along the other side so she could take them off.

"Yeah, whatever you can stuff in this in the next five minutes," he said, snatching a duffel bag off the floor. He dumped its contents out as she pulled on her jeans, all the while watching her out of the corner of his eye. The second they were up and covering her hips, he turned back around and handed it to her.

Marie looked at the empty bag and then back up at Logan. A rush moved through her as the full realization of what was happening hit her.

They were running.

And he wasn't telling her from what.

---

Somewhere in Canada

The gas light on the truck's dashboard flicked on.

Shit. He'd have to stop.

Logan looked over at Marie and didn't have the heart to wake her just yet. She was curled on the front seat beside him, legs up and underneath her, gloved hands folded in her lap. A bump in the road made her head shift from the back of the seat to his shoulder where it had been resting for the last hundred miles or so. More than once, he'd thought about wrapping his arm around her shoulders, but decided it was better to keep both hands on the wheel. It was hard enough already to concentrate on driving when every inhalation filled his nostrils with her scent. And she smelled good.

"You need gas."

Logan looked down at her again, seeing her lashes flutter with the last remnants of sleep before opening them for good.

"Good, you're up," he muttered, keeping his eyes on the road as he nudged her head off his shoulder. He shook it out a bit. "My arm was about to fall off."

"Where are we?" she asked, uncurling her body into a sitting position. She stretched a little before slumping back against the seat.

"North," he answered.

"Home," she said through a yawn. He glanced over and she was giving him a speculative look. "Your home."

"Yeah. I know places to go," he offered as an excuse. He waited for her to argue, but instead she was quiet. It lasted all of five seconds.

"I came up this way when I ran away," she said wistfully. "Up through Niagra Falls and then through the Canadian Rockies to Anchorage."

"What was in Anchorage?" he asked and out of the corner of his eye, saw her shrug.

"Nothin'," Marie answered simply, then sighed heavily. "It was supposed to be an adventure, that's all. After high school. Before college. Had this big map in my room with all the places I was goin' to go marked out with pictures and post cards."

"That was your mistake right there," Logan said, turning into a small, run down gas station. "Planning it out. Life doesn't work like that."

"Is this planned?" she asked as the truck jerked to a stop. He killed the engine first, then looked over at her before answering.

"Not all of it," Logan said, his eyes locking with hers. "What?"

"Can we go to Anchorage?" she asked hopefully.

"I thought you said there was nothing there," he said. She smiled ever so slightly and he immediately shook his head. "Nice try. Get out and pump."

"Why me?" she protested, but got out anyway. She walked around the front and stopped at driver's side window, wanting money. Her breath fogged the cold glass as she waited.

He'd asked himself that same question many times--why Marie? Of all the people that had drifted in and out of his life, he never needed anyone the way he needed her. They had only one thing in common and that, apparently, was enough.

Logan rolled the window down before she steamed it up anymore and handed her some money for the gas.

"Wait in the truck," Logan instructed before opening the door.

"Are we stoppin' here?" Marie asked, eyeing at the run down tavern warily.

"Maybe. I used to know the owner. It'll be safe," he said, with a twist of his lips. It certainly didn't look safe to her. Logan got out, took the keys with him and slammed the door shut. Marie watched as he walked away, glancing over his shoulder a couple times to make sure she indeed was staying put.

And she did for about ten minutes.

---

It seemed familiar to her. It wasn't that unlike the place they'd met in, she thought as she stepped inside, or the hundreds of places just like it from his memories. Off in the back, she figured there was a place for cage fighting. A few of the remaining patrons looked her over, but none approached. She could handle it if they did, but she didn't want to make a scene. She just wanted to find Logan.

"C'mon, one fight..."

"I told you, Jenny, I don't do that anymore."

Marie followed his voice to the far end of the bar, where Logan was standing very close to a blond haired woman. She laid her hands on his chest and smiled up at him before running them down it slowly. He closed his eyes as she let them wander even lower.

"You do this anymore?" she asked, practically purred as her nails scraped over his fly. "You must have come here wanting something, Logan. You always want something. If it's not a fight and it's not me..."

His eyes opened back up and met Marie's.

The woman followed his gaze and looked at her as well. She let her hands fall away from Logan and she took a step back, her attention shifting to Marie.

"Are you old enough to be in here, honey?" she called out, making Marie frown.

"I'm eighteen..."

"She's with me," Logan said, cutting her off. The woman started to smirk and he held a hand up. "And it's not what you think."

"No, not at all," Marie said, sliding onto a barstool. She averted her eyes from his. "Unless you're thinking he got me out of bed in the middle of the night, threw me in a truck and won't tell me where we're goin'."

Marie rolled her eyes back in his direction. Logan wasn't amused.

"I wouldn't put it past him," Jennie said, stepping behind the bar. She folded her arms across her breast, making them spill even more out of low cut shirt she wore. She seemed familiar as well, but there were so many women like her in Logan's memories it was hard to distinguish one from the other. "So you tell me, honey. Why is he here?"

"We need a place to stay for the night," Marie answered truthfully. "He said you could help us."

"Yeah, I have a room upstairs," she said, her smirk returning. "Just one, but you knew that, Logan. Were you planning on being really quiet?"

"Jenny," Logan warned.

She reached a hand into her bra and pulled out a key. She tossed it onto the bar in front of him. Marie watched as it rattled to a stop.

"I don't care what you do with the girl," Jenny said as he picked up the key. The way she said it, coupled with his odd expression, made Marie wary. "Just make sure you're both gone by morning."

---

"You can't be doing that."

"Doing what?" she asked innocently as she brushed past him and into the room. She turned, raising both eyebrows up as she waited for him to respond.

"You know what," he replied, slamming the door shut. Jenny's words came back to him as Marie stared at him. Her lips fell open and his acute hearing picked up her every breath. It was growing rapid, like her heart and her cheeks were flushing red.

"So what are you going to do with me?" Marie asked straight out. It wasn't an invitation, but a simple question. When he didn't answer her, she asked another. "He escaped, didn't he? Magneto...Eric. He escaped from prison."

"Yeah," he said, his eyes moving off her and to a lamp. He flipped it on, revealing the small, but clean room Jenny kept for certain visitors. Marie surveyed it briefly before sitting down quietly on the bed. "Last night. Xavier got word...then I had words with him. I thought it would be best not to sit and wait for him to show up again and he disagreed."

"Why would he come after me?" she asked, looking up at him. "There has to be a reason why you'd think he'd come after me."

"There isn't," Logan said, not wanting her to worry. He started towards her, but the closer he came, the faster her heart beat. This time, it was out of fear. He stopped and crouched down so they were somewhat face to face. Her gloved hands slid off her thighs and found their way to his, her fingers winding tight around them. He tried to tell her more but then he felt her warmth through the thin fabric, felt it tugging at his heart and he sighed.

"It's just in case," she surmised and he nodded. "For how long?"

"I don't know," Logan replied and she wriggled her hands from his. Marie set her jaw and her posture stiffened.

"How long?" she asked again, her voice steady and firm. It matched her expression and he knew he owed her a better answer than that. He just wished he had one to give her.

"Until I know it's safe," he said, hoping that would suffice. Marie looked as if she wanted to say something else, but she didn't. She kept her mouth shut while she pulled angrily at the front of her cloak. The buttons popped free one by one and when she was done, Marie looked at the bed and then inquisitively at him.

"Where are you goin'?" she asked as Logan suddenly rose to his feet.

"There's a couple things I have to take care of," he said, taking a few steps back towards the door. She'd be okay on her own all night. He wouldn't be that far, just in case.

"With Jenny?"

"Yeah," he said and she frowned as he slipped away.

---

Logan tried to suppress yet another yawn and Marie sighed.

He wasn't the only one who was tired. She was, from waiting up all night for him to come back. And when he finally did in the early morning hours, it was just to tell her it was time to get on the road again. She could guess for herself what the 'things' were he had to take care of with Jenny.

Marie found her eyes wandering across the seat and over to Logan as he drove them even further into Canada. One hand was gripping the wheel and the other was slung casually over it, cigar dangling between his rough fingers. She fixed her stare on them, wondering how they would feel moving across the soft skin of shoulders, lips or inner thighs.

She'd tried hard in the months of his absence and even harder in the months since his return to control her so-called 'gift.' She discovered she could touch a little, but at the price of her own life in exchange. It was frustrating, exhausting and above all, disappointing. Sure, there were ways around it but why bother when there were plenty of...Jennys out there.

The memories, his memories, had been filled with women just like Jenny. Above him. Below him. Marie knew what he liked and how he liked it. Rough and fast. Hard and deep. It made her nervous and even a little scared knowing that's what he'd expect, but it didn't stop her from wondering what it would be like.

"What's the matter with you?"

Marie blinked twice and noticed Logan was looking at her and not the road.

"Nothin'," she dismissed.

She could feel his eyes stealing glances at her even though she herself was focusing on the road. Marie's cheeks grew hot and when she sunk down into her cloak, she noticed the space between her legs had become damp. She tucked her hands between her knees and pressed them together, hoping his heightened senses wouldn't detect her...arousal. Marie closed her eyes in embarrassment and sunk even lower.

"Keep sliding like that and you're going to end up on the floorboards," Logan said, reaching over to tap her arm. "Sit up, kid."

That last word certainly made her sit up. He hadn't called her 'kid' in a while. Marie had hoped it was because he no longer thought of her that way but judging from how easily it just rolled off his tongue, it was obvious he still did. He probably always would.

"Can we stop?" she heard herself say.

"What? Here?" Logan asked, looking over at her again. Marie's hands were already fumbling with the locks on the door even though they were still in motion.

"Yeah. Just...pull over," she said, anxious to get out of the truck. She needed air. She needed to walk around. And she needed to get away from Logan, if only for a few moments. She tugged the handle and released the door. Marie held onto it as Logan slowed down and pulled into the parking lot of a diner.

"Are you okay?" he asked, reaching out to her again. She moved so his fingers merely brushed her arm.

"I'm fine," she said. The second the truck came to a stop, Marie got out.

Logan could tell Marie was pissed.

She sat on the stool next to him in the smoky truck stop and picked at her food in silence. Now that he thought about it, she really hadn't said much to him all day. Women were always pissed at him over something and Marie, it seemed, was no exception.

Logan pushed his own plate aside and rested his elbows on the counter to take a few puffs on his cigar. He knew he should say something to her; he just couldn't figure out what. Marie was the one who got him to talk, not the other way around. She knew him better then he knew himself and he was surprised to find he hardly knew her at all.

Marie wasn't the same scared, wide-eyed girl he'd found hiding in his trailer. She'd seen too much, felt too much thanks to that 'gift' of hers. The white streaks that framed her pretty face were a constant reminder of all she'd been through with Magneto. He was the one person Logan couldn't protect her from but he was trying to just the same. His life was already fucked up, but it didn't mean hers had to be. She was young. She had a chance at being a 'useful member of society' or whatever it was Xavier called it.

Still, he couldn't imagine his life without her.

Last night with Jenny, he'd been thinking about Marie. It was wrong and he knew that, but it didn't stop him from closing his eyes and seeing her face below him instead. She already belonged to him in so many other ways, it selfish to want that from her, too. He called her 'kid' again to try and convince himself she still was, but it wasn't working. Marie wasn't a kid anymore. She was just...Marie.

Logan turned to look at her and found she was gone.

Momentary panic swept through him as he scanned the diner before finding her standing over by an old jukebox. He watched as she studied the selections, one hip jutted out and coins clinking in her in gloved hand. He was just about to head over there and help her out when some young trucker beat him to it.

"Hey," the trucker said as he saddled up to Marie. He leaned against the machine, then leaned in toward her. "Save your money. It doesn't work."

"Oh," Marie said, turning her lips down in a pout. Then, they turned up in a little smile at the trucker as she put the change back her pocket. "Thanks."

The guy smiled back at her, his eyes moving up and down her body in a way Logan didn't like. He knew that look. He knew it too well. He stood up, dug in his own pocket for some money and dropped it on the counter.

"What's your name?" the trucker asked, edging even closer to Marie.

"Rogue," she answered, tucking her hair behind her ear and giving him her full attention.

"If you want to hear some music, Rogue, there's this little bar down the..."

"Ready to go?" Logan asked, stepping in between them and staring the guy down. Instinctively, he flexed his hand into a fist.

"Who's this?" the trucker asked, looking around Logan and back to Marie.

"My...ride," she answered, sounding even more pissed than before.

She rolled her eyes as she pushed past Logan, her steps angry as she headed for the door. He followed, catching up with her at the truck. Logan put his hand on the door just above her head so she couldn't open it. He left it there as she turned around, crossed her arms and pressed her back against the door.

"What did I tell you about that?" Logan said, starting in on her. He gestured back at the diner. "He could have been anyone..."

"He was just being nice," Marie said defensively.

"Let me give you a piece of advice. Men are *never* just nice," Logan informed her, then lowered his voice considerably. He didn't want to start an argument. He stopped himself, took a deep breath and rubbed his fingers across his eyes. "They always want something."

"So...what is it you want?"

Logan drew his hand away and saw Marie peering up at him, wanting an answer. She trembled from the cold night air, wrapping her arms even tighter around herself as she waited.

"Rogue..." he sighed, wishing she'd drop it and knowing she wouldn't.

"You must want...something from me," she persisted, her voice sounding so sweet and trusting. Almost...hopeful. She dropped her gaze to his mouth, her own lips separating and quivering. She was close enough he could feel her breath against his face, warm and inviting. For just a moment, he seriously considered taking his chances with her mutation and covering that mouth with his.

"I'm just...looking out for you, kid," he whispered instead. Logan straightened up, took his hand off the door and stepped back. He took a couple more deep breaths, then jammed his cigar back in his mouth before opening the door for her. "Just get in. Please?"

Without a single word, she did.

---

Marie was beginning to wonder what was wrong with Logan. Or what was wrong with her.

They'd been on the road for three days now, stopping only at night at what were obviously his old haunts. Thankfully, there hadn't been another Jenny but there also hadn't been another...whatever that was outside the diner. She had the distinct impression he had wanted to kiss her right then and there, but now she figured it was just wishful thinking on her part.

"How much longer are you going to be?"

Marie looked up from the rack of clothing she was picking through and at Logan, standing just outside the store. They had to stop in a real city so she could get a few things since it was looking like they were going to be gone for a while. She could tell Logan was getting anxious. He was ready to get back on the road before dark, but she vowed not before she was going to get some underwear at least.

"Just a few more minutes," she answered and he backed off.

Marie abandoned the rack and went straight for the underwear.

She'd imagined, fantasized actually, many times what it would have been like if they hadn't been attacked on the road that day, if the X-men hadn't come. It would have been just her and Logan, on the back roads of Canada for miles and miles. Anything could've happened.

She'd been taken with him from the first moment she saw him in that fighting cage, sweat dripping down his back. When he sat next to her in the bar, watching her and watching that news report, she'd known what he was and she knew she needed him. That was why she'd hid in his trailer. And when he didn't leave her on the side of the road, she figured he needed her just as much.

But that was then and this was now and much had happened in between. They both had changed, become something more that what they were. They had the Professor to thank for some of it, but they also had each other.

Despite the promise of no more running, here they were running again only this time, they were doing it together. Scared as she was, she trusted him to take care of her. He'd promised, after all. And she had hoped maybe...just maybe this time on the road, something would happen between them.

It wasn't working out that way.

Marie sighed to herself and started picking through the bin of underwear, most of it satins and silks. She pulled off one of her gloves so she could feel the fabrics, feel how they'd feel against her skin. They weren't the kind of underwear one would buy for just for themselves. Rather, it was the type one bought to wear for someone else.

Marie's eyes turned up and there was Logan again. He looked at her, then at the scrap of satin she was holding and raised an eyebrow before turning his head.

"Are you about...done? There's...some big storm rolling in. I'd like to make it at least as far as..."

Marie randomly picked out the first five pairs her size, wound around him and dropped them on the counter. She sighed again and looked over her shoulder at Logan. He was still standing there, rambling on about where they were going to stop and the weather. She turned her head back to find the saleswoman eyeing her and Logan as if she was trying to figure how they fit together or why they were here.

She wasn't the only one.

---

Logan held the door to the tavern open for Marie. She scooted past him, brushing the snow off her cloak before pushing her hood down. It had started snowing earlier than predicted and the roads were already pretty bad. The tavern was filled with other travelers probably stranded for the night, like they'd probably be. Before he could say something, Marie started walking off.

"Hey, where are you going?" he asked and she stopped and turned.

"Little girl's room," she informed him, raising both her eyebrows up. "Or are you goin' to follow me in there, too?"

At first, Logan figured she was being smart but then he realized she was serious. He wanted to go off on her right then and there about how he was only concerned about her but instead just let her go. It was easier than trying to explain himself.

There were so many things in his life he didn't have answers for. No matter how hard he tried to find them, he always came up empty handed. He never cared about himself, or anyone else for that matter, until he'd met Marie. To lose her would be to lose the only person who ever truly gave a shit about him and he just couldn't let that happen. He liked having someone to take care of; he liked Marie. He liked her a little too much for his own good.

~Hello, Logan.~

The sudden voice in his head startled him. It would have sent him into a panic if he didn't recognize who it was.

Jean.

He turned his head and found her standing just behind him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his eyes flickering between her and the bathroom door. He grabbed Jean by the shoulders and moved her around the corner and out of view.

"I came to talk some sense into you," she said, looking down at his hands until he moved them off. Jean lifted her eyes to his. "Well, try anyway."

"Does Xavier know that?"

"He thought I'd be the most. . .logical choice," Jean answered, careful not to give too much away. Logan was certain there was much more to it she just wasn't telling.

"Well, I'm sorry but you came all the way out here for nothing," he said firmly, trying to read Jean as best he could. "Unless you've come to tell me they'd caught him."

"No," she replied, shaking her head regretfully.

"Then we have nothing to discuss," Logan resolved. He was bound and determined for that to be the last word on the subject, but then Jean reached out and laid her hand on his shoulder. Her touch was always so calming that he often wondered if empathy was part of her 'gift' as well.

"I think we do," she continued, her voice sympathetic like she understood. Maybe she thought she did, but she didn't. "Logan, you don't have to prove anything to Rogue, or to me, or yourself, for that matter."

"I'm not," he maintained, but he could tell Jean wasn't convinced. "And stop looking at me like that. I promised her I'd take care of her and I am, all right?"

"Are you sure that's all it is?" she questioned, fixing him with one of her knowing stares. Logan felt his insides clench up. No, it wasn't all there was and he hated the fact Jean knew it. Damn telepath.

"I take care of Rogue," he reiterated, not knowing what else to say to her.

"And we take care of each other, Logan, or have you forgotten you're part of a team now?" Jean stated, taking her hand off his shoulder and folding her arms. Her expression became stoic and her voice practical. "You're powerless against him and you know it. Come back with me and we'll figure something out. The Professor has been doing everything he can to secure the school..."

"Like last time?" Logan scoffed, shaking his head. "Thanks, but no thanks."

"If you won't listen to me, then at least listen to her," Jean said, reaching out once more and catching him by the forearm. "This isn't the life she wants. For either of you."

Her grip was unexpectedly strong as she held him in place. He looked at her hand and then back at her before shaking it off.

"I'm just trying to make sure she has a life at all," he finished, catching sight of Marie coming out of the bathroom. He exchanged one final look with Jean before leaving her standing there in the shadows.

"Logan?" Marie queried as he walked up to her and took her by the arm. "Hey..."

"C'mon, we've got to go," he said, pulling her along and not looking back. Marie squirmed against him, but he held on just long enough to get out of Jean's line of vision. He released her and she angrily snapped her arm away, rubbing the space where his hand was.

"We can't go," Marie protested, glaring back at him. "It's snowin', remember? And the roads are gettin' covered in ice."

"We can't stay here," he said, practically growling at her. Damn it. Why did she have to question him on everything?

Marie's eyes widened as she looked up at him. And then he smelled it. Fear.

"Is he here?" she asked, her eyes widening even more.

"No," he said, trying to figure out what to tell her. He felt Jean's presence in his head, lingering on the edges and it was making it hard to think. He closed his eyes for a second and tried to make it go away.

"Then what it is?" Marie pleaded. He felt her gloved hand clutching at his clenched hand. "Logan?"

He opened his eyes and wrapped his fingers around hers before leading her out into the snow.

---

Even at full speed, the wipers couldn't keep up with the severe snowstorm.

Marie's fingers dug into the seat as the truck hit another icy patch, causing it to swerve. Her heart leapt into her throat and she swallowed it down, just to hear it pounding in her ears instead. She forced herself to open her eyes and look over at Logan. Both of his hands were clamped onto the wheel, but she could sense he wasn't really in control of the truck anymore. She glanced down at the dashboard to check the mileage yet again. Surely, they were far enough away now.

"You really should pull over," she said in a small, unsteady voice. She didn't want to break his concentration, but she was scared. He wasn't even wearing his seat belt and if they got into an accident. . .

"Next town is just a few more miles ahead," he said through gritted teeth.

The truck swerved again and that was it. Marie had had enough. He'd gone too far this time trying to protect her from. . .whatever it was he thought he was protecting her from. It wasn't worth risking their lives for.

"Logan, Pull over!" she cried out, sounding every bit as frustrated as she felt. "Please!"

Something in her fevered pitch must have gotten through because his foot slipped onto the brake and they started to slow down. He glanced over at her, then immediately pulled off the road. Logan shifted the truck into park and turned the engine off. He sat back and wiped his hand over his eyes.

"Sorry," he mumbled into his hand. "I'm sorry, Rogue."

They sat in silence, but it only increased the uneasy tension between them. She folded her arms tight against her body and stared out the window. Without the wipers, it quickly covered in snow. Without the heater, it was getting cold. Marie kept looking over at him, waiting for him to say something. . .anything but he kept quiet. It only made her more frustrated and more angry.

"Should've stayed where we were," Marie said under her breath, her eyes darting over at him. "Why couldn't we have stayed where we were?"

"It wasn't safe," he snapped back, killing the lights. Now it was dark on top of being cold.

That was followed by more silence.

"You're not gonna to tell me what was back there, are you?" she asked, turning to look at him one more time. She felt angry tears welling in her eyes as all that pent up emotion rose to the surface.

Again, more silence.

"You can keep runnin' if you want to, but you'll be runnin' by yourself."

That got his attention.

"What did you say?" Logan asked, finally looking back at her.

"You heard me," Marie said, standing her ground. "And don't worry. I won't come after you this time."

She reached up to her neck and grabbed hold of the dog tag, his dog tag. Without another word, she pulled it up and over her head before throwing it down on the seat. The next thing she knew, she was out of the truck and slamming the door. It didn't matter how hard it was snowing or that they were stuck in the middle of nowhere. Nothing mattered except getting as far and as fast away from Logan as possible.

That was something Marie never thought she'd want, but at the moment, she did.

Fuck.

Logan stared at the dog tag and then at the rear view mirror. Between the darkness and storm, she was nearly out of sight already. He should just fucking let her go if that's what she wanted to do. Had he done that the first time, maybe she'd have been better off.

Or, she'd be dead.

"Rogue!" he called out as he flung the door open. He was hit by an icy blast of air and he had to squint to see her through the falling snow. If she heard him, she wasn't stopping. She just kept right on going until he finally caught up with her, his hand reaching out for her shoulder. "Would you just stop?"

She shrugged him off, but he caught hold of her cloak, then her elbow with his fingers. Marie struggled even more, her arms flailing and her hands forming fists she swung at him. Hard.

"Just leave me alone!" she cried as he caught her wrists.

"I'm not leaving you out here," he barked, then lowered his voice as she finally stopped fighting him. Her dark eyes peered up at him through the white streaks flying wildly around her face. "I can't..."

"No, you can't," Marie repeated, as he moved his hands from her wrists to her shoulders. She was shivering both from the cold and from anger. "You can't change what happened to me by tryin' to stop it from happenin' again."

"That's not what I'm doing."

Marie shook her head, teeth chattering, and his hands moved once again. This time, to the sides of her head to steady her. Her eyes opened up again and he felt his stomach bottom out. Deep down, he knew she was right.

"What else was I supposed to do?" he whispered. "I don't know any other way to protect you."

"I don't want you protectin' me," she asserted, setting her jaw. "I only came with you because I thought. . .well, I thought wrong."

"No, you didn't," he said, lowering his eyes from hers and closing them.

Logan pulled her a little closer, closing the gap between them. Her arms found their way around his waist, slipping under his jacket and seeking warmth that wasn't there. She was the one who was warm and alive, not him. He only felt like he was when he was with her.

Another icy blast passed over, chilling Logan right to the bone, to the metal that lay grafted with it. It made him feel all that much more numb, until she pressed her body completely up against his. He wrapped his arms around her and suddenly running was the last thing he wanted to do. The only thing involved Marie and to hell with anything else.

"It's really, really cold. . ." she said, twisting her head upwards to his. She shivered again as the snow kept falling, covering them both in white.

"It's fucking freezing, that's what it is," he concluded, letting go just enough to look back at the truck before looking up. He couldn't tell if it was getting worse or not. "Think we can make it to the next town?"

"I think so," Marie said, huddling close as he figured out how to get the truck back on the road.

---

"This okay?"

"It's great," Marie said, unbuttoning her cloak and slipping it off. She was just grateful to be inside; where didn't matter, which was good considering the condition of the room. They were lucky just to get it. The tiny motel's other rooms were filled but the proprietor let them have this one. There was something wrong with the pipes and half the furniture was missing, but she didn't care.

It had a bed, a bathroom and...Logan.

He locked the door, then tossed their bags on the floor before walking towards her, the snow from his boots leaving a powdery trail. He stopped in front of her, took some deep breaths and just stared. He didn't move, didn't say anything. Logan began to look uncomfortable and she figured he was formulating some excuse in his head. Before the awkwardness got too much, Marie reached up to brush the remaining snow out of his hair.

"It's everywhere," she said, the snow melting into her gloves. They were already wet and cold and she couldn't feel her fingers. Marie couldn't feel much of anything except the warm pressure building in her abdomen. Logan caught her hand to make her stop.

"It'll melt," he told her, wrapping his hand around hers and tucking it against his chest. He reached for the other one and did the same, making the pressure deepen and spread. The only thing melting was her, slowly and from the inside out.

"You're not going to tell me this is a problem, are ya?" she asked, turning her lips down.

"It is a problem," Logan stated, but moved her hands to his shoulders. His own, he slid to her waist and tugged her hips up against his. Marie looped her arms around his neck, pulling herself up onto her toes to try and make up for the difference in height. His face softened as his eyes swept over hers and settled on her mouth.

"I know," Marie agreed, closing her eyes and focusing her mind. She braced herself for the pull before her lips brushed his. It was a light kiss, nothing insistent, until she was certain the draw was inward. A current passed through her as she made it more, her tongue sliding along his until she had to stop. It left her breathless, drained, but wanting. So much so, she fought off the fatigue and smiled invitingly at Logan.

"Don't put me in a coma," he said, as his thigh edged between hers so her pelvis rubbed against it. That little bit of friction created a twinge of pleasure and she rotated her hip into it. "That will be even harder to explain than..."

Her hip bumped against his cock. Her eyes widened at how hard it was already.

Whatever he was going to say faded into a sudden groan. She repeated the motion, for both their benefits, and felt the twinge again. Marie grinded into it and felt his hands shift to her backside. He gripped it firmly before sliding them even lower to the backs of her thighs. Before she had time to catch her breath, she was being lifted up. Her legs wrapped around Logan's waist fast and she gasped when her back hit a wall. He centered their hips and his eyes had gotten very dark as he looked at her and paused, uncertain still.

"Please, Logan," she whispered, trailing her hand down his face.

When he didn't answer, Marie nudged her hips and that was all it took. She wasn't some under age runaway now, they weren't under Xavier's roof and he wasn't taking advantage of anything. She'd have to decide what was within the limits of her control and what wasn't.

The heat they generated was making him sweat and he let her down. Logan quickly stripped out of his leather jacket, dropping it in a heap on the floor. They wouldn't be able to take off much else. He found he didn't care as long as they could do this. He took her back in his arms and within seconds, they landed on the bed, Marie on top. She bit her lower lip, suppressing the nervous smile quivering there and the cause for it was suddenly apparent.

"Is this your first..." he whispered, but not sure if he really wanted the answer. It was awkward enough already without that, too.

"It's certainly not yours," Marie whispered back, letting her lip slide through her teeth. She settled against him, straddling his hips with hers and resuming contact. It made it hard for Logan to think clearly. "I remember...things."

"You shouldn't go by that," he groaned out. He didn't want her expecting whatever was in his memories. A fuck was one thing; this would be something else. He wanted her to know there was a difference.

She leaned forward a little and his hands could no longer stay still.

They wandered up to her breasts to cup them before brushing his broad thumbs over her nipples. In seconds, they hardened into peaks that were visible through her clothes. Her eyes grew hazy with pleasure as she leaned into his touch, wanting more.

"C'mere," he beckoned, drawing her down for another kiss. He saw her brow furrow in concentration before she tipped her mouth over his. On contact, he felt a spark that quickly dissolved as the kiss deepened before she had to pull away again. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she confirmed, although he could see her struggling for control. Marie recovered and gave him a smile. "I'm just conservin' my energy for..."

"Yeah," Logan said, his hands returning to their careful exploration of her body. It didn't take much to figure out the reason why she worked so hard at controlling her mutation. She did it for him, for this and right or wrong, he wanted to give her something back.

Logan dropped his fingers and his gaze to the fly of her jeans. Marie held her breath, drawing her stomach in so he wouldn't accidentally touch her skin as he unfastened them. He drew the zipper down and smiled as it revealed simple lace and cotton panties. They looked so young and not like the ones she'd picked up earlier.

His smile faded as he caught the scent of her arousal, heavy and sweet. His cock ached to be inside her now, to be wrapped in that warm, tight space and claim it as his own. Beneath the weight of her body, it throbbed, but it would have to wait.

He wanted to do this for her first.

Marie grew still as Logan took the ends of her open fly in both hands and used them to tug her jeans down even further, just over her hips.

"Should I take them off?" she asked in a small, almost breathless voice. She had a good idea what he was going to do and she shivered in anticipation. Touch, even through fabric, was still touch and she craved the contact.

"Not yet," Logan said, shaking his head before finally pressing his fingers against her. His hand began to move in a circular motion, gently separating her folds through thin cotton barrier until he found what he was looking for.

Through the damp lace, he rubbed the small bud. It felt good, so good. She rolled her hips into it and made the friction even harder until the pleasure started to peak. Marie let out a little gasp, eager for it to continue.

"Right there?" he asked, then concentrated even more on that spot. Marie tried to speak, but the words weren't forming as the pleasure returned. She settled on an enthusiastic nod and Logan chuckled softly. "Right there it is."

His eyes shifted from his fingers to her face and Marie's cheeks flushed. He was watching her with such intent it made her self-conscious. She never thought Logan would ever look at her the way he was right now. Marie stared back at him, watching him watching her until a certain twinge began beneath Logan's fingers.

"Logan..."

Her eyes fluttered shut as both the sensation and his motions increased. Her hands clutched at her thighs as he wound her tighter and tighter until her body finally let go. She cried out as it hit, then moaned through the subsequent waves of pleasure. Through it all, his hand never stopped, never let up until she was spent. Her hips stilled and she sat back, catching his hand in both of hers.

"Good?" he asked as he used their joined hands to pull her down into his arms.

"Real good."

She let her legs slide out only to have them quickly tangled around his. His erection pressed into her stomach and her insides quivered again, only this time anxiously.

It was his turn now.

With one smooth motion, he rolled them both over so he was on top. He rearranged himself so his arms supported his weight before sliding his body down hers. He caught hold of her jeans again and she lifted her hips just enough for him to start peeling them down her legs. Logan got stopped by her shoes, but soon they were on the floor along with her jeans. He hovered above her on all fours, his eyes running up her bare legs hesitantly.

It was a lot of skin.

"Maybe we shouldn't..." Logan started.

"I said I won't put you in a coma," she said and his eyes snapped to hers.

"You sure?" he asked as she brought her hands to the waistband of his jeans. She gave them a sharp, insistent tug.

"I'm sure," she said as her gloved fingers started on his fly.

Marie wriggled beneath him, scooting down a bit so she could have better access. Logan wished like hell he didn't have to keep them on, but he didn't see any other way to do it. She'd have to keep her panties on as well, but at least those legs would be wrapped around him. Her hand brushed his cock a few times, jarring the last bit of common sense out of his head as she unzipped sharply.

"Careful," he cautioned, reaching one hand into his back pocket. "I heal fast but still..."

Marie smiled and lay back, her eyes huge as she watched him pull out a condom and tear it open. Her brow furrowed as she looked at it, then back at him inquisitively.

"Jenny," she said and he nodded reluctantly. He wasn't about to lie to her now. Marie let out a disappointed sigh and rolled her eyes. "I knew it."

"You mad?" he asked as he sat back for a second to put the damn thing on. He must have fumbled with it too much because Marie propped herself into a sitting position and much to his surprise, took it from him.

"Just don't do it again," she answered, her hands shaking a bit as she freed him from his jeans and underwear. Her expression grew pensive for a moment and she swallowed down some air before taking his length in one small hand. Her covered thumb skimmed over the head and he almost lost it just from that. With a little too much skill, she rolled the latex down.

"Should I even ask?" Logan said as she drew her hand away and lay back. She had been on the road eight months before he met her. He'd always. . .assumed she hadn't done anything but now he was starting to wonder. Marie cocked her head to the side and gave him a look.

"They taught it health class," she informed him and he winced at the reminder of just how young she was. "That was before I knew I was a..."

Logan nudged her knees apart with his and she stopped talking.

"A what? A mutant?" he guessed, dropping back on all fours to settle on top of her. He was still mostly in his jeans, except for his cock. He shifted his weight to one hand and used the other to adjust the rest of his clothing so as little skin as possible down there was exposed. "There are worse things you could be."

"I know," she said, her eyes full of understanding. "Right now I just want to be...with you."

That was all Logan needed to hear. His fingers returned to her panties, carefully catching the elastic edge and pushing it to one side to expose her wet sex. Logan felt his groin tighten even more and he knew he wasn't going to last long, which was good considering Marie's concentration had limits.

"You start to slip, you tell me," he instructed and she nodded. He wrapped his arms around her as best as he could while he lowered his hips into hers. Marie closed her eyes as his cock teased her opening before slowly entering her. Her face immediately pinched up, her jaw locking as she braced herself against him.

Fuck. He was right. She had never done this before.

"Y'okay?" he whispered, as he eased back out.

The intense pressure she hadn't been prepared for was gone.

"Rogue, look at me."

She couldn't bring herself to open her eyes just yet, too embarrassed by her reaction to face him. She'd heard from others what sex was supposed to be like and this wasn't it. It was supposed to be like earlier when he was touching her, only better. She knew the first time wasn't going to be perfect but she didn't think it was going to be this uncomfortable either.

"I-I started to slip," she stammered as an excuse, finally opening her eyes. They were met with Logan's, which were quickly filling with guilt. He moved his hips a little further back from hers and Marie clutched his upper arms. "That's all..."

Logan frowned, then moving a hand to the side of her head. She felt his fingers tangle her hair and graze against her scalp. "I'll stop."

"No," she spoke up, worried if they didn't, they never would. Logan started shaking his head and it made her heart ache. "I want to...with you." Marie took a deep breath and released it slowly before continuing. "I want it to be you, Logan. No one else."

Marie meant it, every word, and maybe it was that sincerity that changed his mind. Logan moved in once more, holding her a little closer. She closed her eyes, concentrating hard as his cock nudged at her opening again.

"Ready?" he whispered and she nodded.

Marie felt that pressure again and it kept increasing the deeper he slid in. She could feel it all the way up in her head, through her nerves until finally something gave. It still hurt, but not as much as he began to move. Marie eased her grip on his arms, willing her body to relax. She knew she should be moving her hips with his, meeting each of his thrusts with one of her own but she couldn't bring herself to. Not this time, anyway.

"Is it okay?" she asked, not wanting to disappoint him too much.

"Oh yeah," Logan answered, his voice little more than a low growl. There was something so needy about it that Marie smiled to herself. She was the one making him sound that way. Marie tried to hold onto that as he continued to pump into her, his pace getting increasingly harder and faster.

Briefly, their skin would accidentally brush or bump together, but it wasn't long enough for the pull to start. Marie tried to wrap her legs a little higher around his hips, hoping it would help speed things along. As much as she wanted it to be good for him, she also wanted it over. Her body really ached and she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep up her concentration.

To her relief, Logan let out a long groan and his hips finally stilled. Above her, his body shuddered and twitched and she looked up. His face was twisted with what must be pleasure, eyes closed and mouth open as he breathed through it. Distracted, her thigh slipped a little and ended up against a patch of bare skin. She wasn't sure if she'd be strong enough to stop it.

"Logan," she called out and his eyes flew open. They met hers as it began, the almost electrical current charging their skin where it touched. Marie managed to hold it off just enough for Logan to push her leg lower so it hooked over his jeans. In doing so, he suddenly slipped out of her.

"You all right?" he panted, as they unwrapped themselves from one another.

"Yeah," Marie said, the space between her legs feeling odd.

"I have to...I'll be right back," he said, sliding one hand down to hold onto the condom before moving off the bed. Marie waited until he was in the bathroom before sitting up herself. She adjusted her panties, then reached for her pants to tug them on. Marie couldn't help but feel self-conscious. She wanted to get in the bathroom herself and make sure everything was okay down there.

On shaky legs, she stood up and waited for him to come out. He gave her a strange look but didn't question her as she slipped past him and into the bathroom.

Once inside, Marie leaned back against the door, wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes. She felt like crying, although she wasn't sure why. It was what she'd wanted, more than anything but it just wasn't the way it was supposed to be.

After a few minutes, she heard a quiet knock on the door.

"Just give me a couple minutes, okay?"

It was more than a couple minutes, but eventually she came out.

"C'mere," Logan beckoned. He was sitting on the edge of the bed and held his hand out to her. She took it in her gloved one, then let him pull her into his lap. Her head fell onto his shoulder as he slipped his arms around her, holding her as close as he could. She tucked herself in even more, bringing her legs up so they were draped across both of his.

"I'm sorry," she whispered against his shoulder. She breathed a heavy sigh that made Logan feel all the more guilty. He shouldn't have done it, no matter how good it felt or how much he wanted her.

"Don't be," he told her. He was the one who should be sorry, not her.

"It's just...I didn't think it would be so different."

That caught him off guard. "Different?"

Marie lifted her head up and looked at him with soft eyes. "Yeah. Different from people who aren't like...me. In my head, from you, I know what you expected. I guess I was expectin' that, too."

Now he understood why she was so upset. It came as such a relief Logan couldn't help but crack a slight smile. He brought his hand up to her face, carefully pushing the hair out of her eyes. "You disappointed?"

"Aren't you?" she answered, her eyes searching his. "I mean...I won't ever be able to completely control it. I'll always have to be careful, always need my gloves..."

"Then we'll just have to deal with it," he said, cutting her off. Her face lit up at the 'we' though Logan wasn't sure how or even if they were going to do this once they got back. "We're going to have to deal with a lot of things."

"I know," Marie said, resting her head back on his shoulder. She was tired, drained and he could feel her body growing heavy in his arms.

The scent of sex lingered still in the room and on them both. It stirred something inside him, something that made it easy to forget everything else for a while. She was so warm now that all he wanted to do was wrap up in that warmth for a few hours before they had to start heading back.

Logan slipped an arm under her legs, then got up just long enough to lay her down in the center of the bed. He pulled off his boots, loosened up some of his clothes and climbed in behind her. She scooted back into his arms, the curves of her ass fitting nicely up against his cock. He couldn't help but press into it, enjoying the feel of her. She let out this little moan and Logan knew if he could've had her again right then and there, he would have without a second thought. If this thing between them was a problem before, it was certainly going to be an even bigger one now.

"Logan?"

"Yeah?"

"Who was back there in the tavern?" she asked softly.

"It was Jean," he admitted, resting his head against the back of hers. "She wanted to talk some sense into me. She didn't."

"But we are going back," Marie said. It wasn't a question but a statement of fact, something for him to confirm. It was where they belonged now and it was the life Marie wanted--for both of them. He just wasn't sure they could have...this there.

"Yeah," he said, closing his eyes and holding her a little tighter. For right now, this was all that mattered.