"Grrraa!" The growl echoed off the paper thin motel room walls and resounded in his ears.

His eyes darted around the darkened room. The sink in the far corner provided the only other sound in the room, the drip, drip, drip. The clock on the bedstand no-longer worked and was flashing midnight constantly. His eyes then flickered from the chair in the opposite corner, his leather jacket, denim and shirt were lying crumpled there, to the moonlit window.

As the moonlight flowed over him, he cast his attention downward. Sitting bolt upright in bed he held his arms out. They trembled before him, sweat lying in tiny scattered beads across his skin. In an attempt to clear the now fleeting memories from his mind he gritted his teeth.

'SKNT!' The loud metal sound resonated off the walls. The pain caused by the ripping of the flesh that covered his now clenched fists provided a clarity that sharply brought his consciousness forth, piercing the once again intruding nightmares. As quickly as they had appeared the claws were at once retracted, wounds instantly healing.

Taking a deep breath he lay back, slamming his head into the already lumpy pillows. He raised his arms above his head, running his fingers through his drenched hair.

'Just another nightmare.' Logan thought.

Lying there in the silence he contemplated what had happened up until now. What had he learned about his past? He had gone looking for answers to questions he thought he'd sought, but instead had only found memories the likes of which he no longer wanted. The likes of which already tortured his every dream.

Racking his mind for any comforting thought, something to anchor him to reality. For some reason at that moment Logan would have done anything to avoid returning to the abyss that loomed over sleep, always threatening to swallow him whole.

He became restless. Diving up out of bed he went straight to the sink that still continued to drip. Turning on the cool flow of water he watched it for a few moments before plunging his hands underneath it. Allowing the liquid to pool there before washing it over his face. Logan allowed a single groan to escape him.

Running wet hands through his hair he looked at the reflection staring back at him from the cracked mirror. Frowning at the dull throb of a headache that was slowly creeping over him, Logan sighed and turned away, crossing the tiny room.

Standing left arm raised, pressed up against the window frame, a pose reminiscent of that struck within a cage in the bar at Laughlin City, he gazed out into the night. A single thought dominated his mind and caused his lips to curls into a smile. 'That's where she walked into my life.' The thought came through clear and vibrant.

The hooded figure watching him as he fought. He felt her eyes on him as he knocked the next guy out and returned to his cigar and whisky. Again as he returned to the bar for a beer when the place had emptied. All he could do was return the look. She'd looked so innocent sitting there all alone, 'kinda like me' he'd thought. Before he could wonder about the reasons a girl like her would be doing in a dive like this one, he was distracted by a hard tap in the shoulder.

Logan had given a simple warning in return.

"You lost your money already..." He spoke in a low monotone that almost growled, clearly hinting at the consequences if the drunken lout persisted. "You keep this up, you're gonna lose somethin' else."

Unknown to him, after revealing himself to be a mutant defending himself and being ordered from the bar, was that a very scared Rogue had followed as he walked calmly out not looking back. Driving out into the nowhere of the frozen forest land he was completely unaware that she was stowed away in the back, almost frozen herself.

So it was that they had met. So it was that he had brought her back, promising to take care of her when she had run scared. As she had saved his life twice now, so too had he for her.

Taking her into his arms atop the Statue of Liberty he had pulled off a glove, willing to have himself drained if only to share his gift and heal her. Complete sorrow and pain had wracked his body as he realized that there was no sensation of draining at her touch. Clutching her limp body to his he pressed his lips to her forehead and held her tightly in an embrace. Closing his eyes he was unaware of the power overtaking him.

Logan could only gasp and tremble as the life was drained from him. Cuts and lacerations began to appear over his body and face. Blood began to flow down his back, pouring from the leather suit he wore. He fell into unconsciousness, not knowing that if Rogue hadn't used all her strength to push him away at that moment he would have lost his life. Even with his healing gift it had still taken him 3 weeks lying in the infirmary to recover.

'An' after all that you still ran away and left her' he thought. 'Some promise.'

The words drifted back. "C'mon, I'll take care of you."

As if something had given way inside him he jumped into action. Grabbing his shirt and jacket from the chair next to him he charged out of the door, pulling on his boots as he went.

Reaching Cyclops' motorcycle he sat astride it, wearing only his jeans. The moon cast through the trees onto his pale skin. Face still portraying the thoughts that wandered his mind as he unconsciously raised a hand to his chest. The tags were not there and his fingers found only chilled flesh.

Shivering out of his reverie he pulled on his shirt, both jackets, denim followed by trademark leather, and started up the cycle. It roared into life and he could feel the pull of it under him.

Suddenly Logan realized something. Releasing his grip on the throttle he let the cycle power down to a low purr.

'Where am I goin'?' The question just surfaced plain and simple. 'What am I gonna go back and say?'

He thought of how he might have hurt her by leaving. That was it, enough, he didn't care. he wasn't going to let these thoughts tie him up any longer.

As Logan revved up the motorcycle and roared out of the Motel's tiny parking lot, he realized that there'd be no place left for him to go, he was bound homeward. Homeward in mind, homeward in heart. Bound by her.

Rogue's voice drifted back to him over the roaring engine.

"You runnin' again?"

Logan's answer was simple.

"Not this time."