Death Drives A Mini-Van by noVa451
Summary: It’s been a few years since X2 and things happened and not everyone’s where they expected to be. Logan’s world is opened up when he’s asked to help assist in the transportation of a special package.
Categories: X2, X-Men Evolution Characters: None
Genres: Drama
Tags: None
Warnings: None
Challenges:
Series: None
Chapters: 37 Completed: Yes Word count: 57811 Read: 282524 Published: 12/27/2008 Updated: 01/28/2009

1. 'Tequila may be the river I drown in, but my sorrows still keep me afloat' by noVa451

2. ‘Operator, please disconnect me from this reality’ by noVa451

3. ‘Mama, always said don’t let the strangers in’ by noVa451

4. ‘Don’t go down that rabbit hole, the darkness called to me’ by noVa451

5. ‘Six feet under and I lay breathing’ by noVa451

6. ‘Please lay my soul to rest’ by noVa451

7. ‘Cover my ears and the truth sounds clearer’ by noVa451

8. ‘Driving forward, ain’t nothing but two steps back’ by noVa451

9. ‘A rest stop is just another opportunity for distraction’ by noVa451

10. ‘I cover my tracks, but the shadows still haunt me’ by noVa451

11. ‘There’s no rest in peace’ by noVa451

12. ‘Like a trapdoor the past keeps opening under me’ by noVa451

13. ‘The Scarlett letter’ by noVa451

14. ‘Hear the Siren’s call but beware the water calm’ by noVa451

15. ‘I go to pick up my tab but I still always seem in debt’ by noVa451

16. ‘Bread crumbs are not enough to satisfy this hunger’ by noVa451

17. ‘The jack in the box went up and up’ by noVa451

18. ‘Explanation leads to fruitless contemplation’ by noVa451

19. ‘Instinct is a blind man’s rule’ by noVa451

20. ‘Old haunts, new ghosts’ by noVa451

21. ‘My lies are what hold this web’ by noVa451

22. ‘Jealousy ain’t nothing but a poor woman’s crutch’ by noVa451

23. ‘The pain in my gut is just a scratch, to the pain in my heart’ by noVa451

24. ‘Prick the needle, watch me spin’ by noVa451

25. ‘A fresh day with stale problems’ by noVa451

26. ‘Touch my body, ignite this fire’ by noVa451

27. ‘Shift the gears and we’re on our way to drive’ by noVa451

28. ‘The calm before the storm, is always true to form’ by noVa451

29. ‘No need to watch your back when everyone’s doing it for you’ by noVa451

30. ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away but a trained assassin, the doctor’s on the clock’ by noVa451

31. ‘Rev my engine, ignore the false start’ by noVa451

32. ‘Reality has a habit of seeping in’ by noVa451

33. ‘The drinks are a plenty but the smiles are still a few’ by noVa451

34. ‘Don’t open that box, my hope is ever locked’ by noVa451

35. ‘If one door closes another shall open’ by noVa451

36. ‘Front porch confessions’ by noVa451

37. ‘Time heals these wounds but the scars won’t be forgotten’ by noVa451

'Tequila may be the river I drown in, but my sorrows still keep me afloat' by noVa451
“No, no baby...” he slurred through a rough chuckle.“That ain’t how you do it at all.”

The feminine giggle on his left caused his lips to twitch into a small smirk that turned into a full smile as it was followed by another feminine giggle on his right. He smiled drunkenly at the two blondes on either side of him draped in the wooden booth of the bar.

“Show me how to do it Wolverine,” the taller of the blondes purred in his ear and threw her head back as she laughed drunkenly.

His eyebrows rose up in amusement as his chest puffed out in ridiculous pride. “Well I am the best at what I do,” he whispered suggestively unconcerned by the loud music that flowed through the smoky and crowded bar.

Pulling his arm up from behind the blonde on his right he reached up and grabbed the cigar that dangled from his lips and passed it towards her to hold. When her face turned up in slight disgust he frowned for a moment in annoyance and something else that was quickly forgotten as she leant forward and he had a better view of her cleavage. His smile widened as he suddenly barked with laughter and put the cigar out on the table. Leaning forward he captured her lips in a sloppy kiss and murmured against her lips, “It’s okay baby, I have something better for you later to put in your mouth.”

The blonde continued to giggle incoherently.

“Wolverine,” the voice on his left whined.

“Right, right,” he slurred and turned around. “Let me show you how it’s done.”

Both of the women’s hands slid over his thighs under the table as they watched his hands move over the table towards the bottle of tequila. “Now it ain’t even about being a pussy or a lightweight,” he spoke as he poured the tequila into three shot glasses. “It’s about style, flavour and taste and that’s why, baby,’ he continued as he lifted up his shot glass to the left blonde and clinked it with hers. “You lick the salt first, down the shot and suck on the lemon.”

“Ohhh, I think I get the sucking part,’ she purred.

“I’m sure you do.” He smirked back and clicked their glasses once more and licked the salt off her hand and downed his shot. With a languorous move he put the lemon in his mouth the opposite way as she leant forward and sucked on it and kissed his lips around it.

“I definitely prefer your way.”

“I knew you would,” he spoke before leaning in and kissing her.

“Heather, stop hogging him all to yourself,” the girl on his right moaned.

Heather pulled back from kissing him with a dazed look and smiled. “It’s not my fault you can’t keep up Candy.”

“Hey, now,” Logan laughed deeply. “There’s plenty to go around. Believe me,” he finished with a leer and turned around to kiss Candy.

Heather pouted and kissed his neck softly as she dragged her lips down his corded muscles and rubbed his hand in hers. Bringing his large hand up to her face as he was distracted by Candy she swirled her tongue around one of his fingers and sucked it inside of her mouth. His body jumped slightly under her touch and she smirked.

Moving her lips up his fingers she kissed his knuckles softly and he suddenly jumped under the table, and his hand was a blur as he gripped her wrist hard.

“Don’t do that,” he warned a sudden steeliness to his gaze.

“I’m sorry,’ she gasped. “It’s just after watching you fight all those men in the cage tonight...”

“I ain’t lookin’ for tenderness sweetheart.”

Heather gulped slightly and nodded not understanding exactly what she had done wrong.

Logan shook his head and scowled for a moment before reaching for the bottle blindly and chugging the rest of the contents back as quickly as possible. When he placed the bottle back down on the table he already had a smile plastered on his face and he nuzzled both the women’s necks, putting them back at ease.

He was still noticeably tense and Candy’s next words didn’t help at all. “Wolverine,” she whispered in his ear. “Can we go in the cage and...”

“No!” he barked the coldness back in his eyes.

He closed his eyes quickly and took a deep breath as he spotted the beer in front of him and downed it in three big gulps.

“Don’t worry ladies, I’ve got a room,” he spoke and motioned towards the passing waitress for more drinks. “That’s where the real fun begins.”

He leered at them both as a pitcher of beer was placed on the table. “And you ladies still want to have fun don’t you?”

“Oh yes,” Candy gasped as both her and Heather giggled again.

“Good.”

***

Across the room two people sat in another booth watching the three people with undisguised interest.

“Dear God...” the woman remarked with obvious disdain.

The man sitting across from her took a moment to continue watching the displays of the three people.

“Well you can’t say he’s a man lacking confidence,” he spoke with amusement but his gaze held a sense of similar disdain that the woman’s words had carried.

“It’s pathetic,” the woman responded.

“Yes,” he remarked dryly.

“He’s like a dog in heat.”

“That’s only the beginning of it.”

The woman eyed him across the table. “How the hell is any of this suppose to work Pietro?”

Pietro ran a hand through his silver hair and narrowed his eyes at his sister. “I don’t know yet, Wanda,” he finished by grounding out her name. “If you’re worried he’s going to jump you well...” he paused to gaze back at Logan and the two girls before back at what his sister was wearing. “Maybe you shouldn’t wear so much red.”

Wanda looked down at her red leather pants and nodded her head at her red jacket as well that covered her black tank top.

“I mean he does have a thing for red.”

“Did have a thing for red,” Wanda corrected him. “We all know he’s one for brunettes now.”

Pietro glanced up and indicated her dark hair. “Your other point being? You are a brunette.”

Wanda smirked. “Thanks for noticing, brother. But to be specific I am a little bit darker. Besides I’ve seen what his particular ultimate choice is and ...”

“Are you admitting defeat?”

Wanda scowled at him. “We’re getting off topic.”

Pietro’s face fell with a sudden sense of openness. “Actually, we aren’t at all.”

The cryptic meaning to his words passed towards Wanda as her face fell with a sense of sadness before quickly being replaced by her usual hard stare.

“We don’t have time to watch him get his rocks off.”

“Do not remind me of the timeline,” Pietro snapped. “I’m well aware.”

Wanda sighed as she glanced across the room. “Well at least he’s not trying to work his way through any pale imitations.”

Pietro snorted darkly. “Are you of all people trying to put a positive spin on the Wolverine’s actions?”

“We need this to work out Pietro and in order to do that I’m going to have to find something admirable about him no matter how small it is to hold on to.”

“Well, I hate to tell you this but he already worked his way through the brunette groupies.”

Wanda’s mouth dropped open slightly. “When?!”

“Just before the fights.”

Wanda rolled her eyes and tapped her fingers against the table. “I suppose that explains why the first round was particularly brutal.”

“Brutal is not a strong enough of a word of what happened in that cage tonight.” He paused to take a sip of his drink. “And I think the women are still sleeping it off.”

Wanda was silent for a moment as she observed Logan in deep thought.

“What are you thinking about now?”

“I just don’t understand how...”

“It is not for you to understand.”

“Oh and you do,” she snapped back. “You who...”

“Stop it,” he hissed back. “Now is not the time.”

She glared daggers back at him.

“Don’t let things fall apart yet. There is still work to be done and when it is finished you will have your time to rage against the world. You will have your time to mo...”

“Don’t say it.”

He sighed. “You will have to face and accept it soon.”

“Because you have so easily,” she whispered back sarcastically.

Pietro’s face hardened. “I will wait for my time as well.”

“You hate him just as much as I do,” she remarked as she nodded towards Logan and the two blondes.

“I do not hate, sister.”

“No, but you despise him.”

“I despise him for what he is now, for what he has become.”

Pietro smirked at his sister. “Not all men are as strong as you.”

Wanda rolled her eyes. “He’s the Wolverine.”

“Yes,” Pietro nodded. “But even a man like him has pain beneath his armour.”

Wanda rolled her eyes again in dismay.

“Enough of this.”
Pietro leant back as he fished out a few bills for their drinks. “He is in no position for us to approach him now.”

“How is a mutant with healing powers that drunk,” she observed.

“He’s been on a three day bender.”

“Think he will be sober by the morning?”

Pietro shrugged as he stood up. “Don’t know. From what I hear it’s actually been more like a three year bender.”

Wanda started to open her mouth but Pietro beat her to it. “We will do what we need to do. Don’t worry sister I haven’t forgotten the timeline.”

With one more glance Wanda sneered in disgust at the booth Wolverine obtained before walking out.

“Some hero.”
‘Operator, please disconnect me from this reality’ by noVa451
The motel phone was on its fifth full ring before any other sound was heard in the room.

“Fuck,” Logan growled as he rolled over and ignored the phone. It stopped on the seventh ring.

It was fifteen more seconds until it started to ring again.

Snapping the sheets back Logan shuffled up the bed his wide eyes taking in the two blondes who were still sleeping, obviously slightly surprised they were in his bed still. Reaching over he yanked the phone off the handle and barked into it immediately, “What!?”

He rubbed his eyes and glanced at the clock which stated it was 8:30 in the morning.

“Is this the Wolverine?”

“Who the fuck wants to know?”

“The name is Pietro,” the other voice on the phone spoke.

“Don’t know yah, so fuck off.”

“I didn’t say you knew me.”

“Listen, asshole it’s 8:30 in the morning, I’m not really in the mood for this shit.”

“You’re a hard man to contact.”

“Yah, well I’m about to hang up so contact over.”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

“Is that a threat?”

“No, its more of some friendly advice considering what I know and what you don’t.”

Logan growled.

“Your friends at Xavier’s Institute were absolutely no help in tracking you down.”

Logan was quiet.

“Or should I say the X-Men.”

“I’m no longer an X-Men so if you have a bone to pick with them go call up on Scotty boy.”

Pietro chuckled. “Just like that you’d throw them to the wolves, to some unknown possible threat.”

“They can handle themselves and plus if it was really so damn important Xavier has ways of contacting me, so that makes me think you have no interest in them.”

“Yes you would be correct in that it is a private matter and you are all that we are interested in at the moment.”

“Goody for me.”

“So then as I was about to...”

“Look, dickhead I don’t care so goodbye.”

“I’m not asking you to care about me. We have a mutual interest that’s all.”

“And that’s supposed to make us buddies?” Logan snapped sarcastically.

“Not in the least.”

“So what kind of mutual interest?”

Pietro was quiet for a moment which just pissed Logan off more.

“Rogue,” Pietro breathed.

Logan went extremely still and took five seconds before a sense of rage came over his face.

“Listen, if she needs money or she owes you some kind of shit, it ain’t my fucking problem and if you’re one of her little playmates you’ve just made a fuckin’ mistake.”
Logan’s chest heaved with his sudden onslaught of anger as he gripped the phone so harshly his knuckles were white. He was disturbed to find Pietro was suddenly quiet on the other end.

“Hello? You got that pretty boy. You tell her...”

“Rogue’s dead,” Pietro spoke sternly, his voice deflated.

Logan’s chest stopped rising as his breath caught and the phone almost slipped from his hand. Gripping it tighter his knuckles were suddenly white for a whole other reason.

“What?” he gasped into the phone, his voice so much quieter then before.

“I don’t think it needs to be repeated again, Wolverine, you heard me.”

Logan’s eyes darted around his room and it suddenly felt too small, he felt trapped. He kicked at the sheets on his bed and his eyes took in the two woman passed out and oblivious to his world and he wanted them gone, he wanted them out and suddenly he hated them.

“Is this some kind of joke?” he asked as his voice rose slightly higher again as he worked up a sense of anger.

“I wish it was,” Pietro spoke softly.

Rubbing his face, Logan bent forward as he could hear his own frantic heart beating against his ribcage. He wasn’t breathing. His body was suddenly forgetting how to function. He took a deep breath.

“When?” he gasped into the phone as he squeezed his eyes in desperation.

“She was killed two days ago.”

“Killed?”

“Yes.”

“Where? Who...”

“That’s not important right now.”

“Like hell it isn’t. I...” Logan paused as his eyes flashed suddenly. “You know what, fuck you, this ain’t my concern so I don’t know why...”

“For not only my sake but more for yours at least stop yourself from telling yourself one more lie, certainly such a big one.”

“You don’t know me,” Logan barked into the phone, allowing his anger to work him up, to move through him and flow over the sudden distraught pain he was unwilling to acknowledge.

“I contacted you for a reason, Wolverine.”

“I can see that.”

“While, you may not have seen Rogue for well over three years I am aware of your past.”

Logan growled sharply.

“Why should I be trusting you?”

“Because I like to think of myself as a man of honour and I know that perhaps you might not think so now but that you will regret it for the rest of your very, very, very long life if you do not see her one last time.”

“See her?” Logan snapped sharply but his voice lacked any strength.

“We have her body.”

“Why?”

“Do you wish to pay your respects or not?”

Logan was quiet as he clenched his teeth. He could feel the more animalistic side of him burning in his head, howling inside of him. That’s what was making his eyes water from the burning feel. That’s what he told himself, unwilling to allow the man in him accept it. To care.

“Where?”

“We’re in town.”

“Then when?”

“We’ll come to you. Wouldn’t want you to think you have to meet us for a meeting and it’s a trap.”

“You coming to me isn’t any more comforting.”

“There’s nothing comforting about this, Wolverine. She’s dead.”

The plastic on the phone cracked under his grip.

“We’ll be there soon. So have the girls gone by then and try not to smell like a brewery.”

The phone clicked on the other end before Logan could respond.

It was a moment or two before Logan placed the phone back on the hook, his hand strangely checking twice that it was in place. Standing up slowly he moved far too calmly from the bed, his eyes forward on some unknown focus on the peeling motel wallpaper. He seemed to be in another place as he moved backwards and then forwards. The contact of something cold touching his bare foot caught his attention and he stared down at the empty beer bottle with sudden discontent. His eyes flashing up towards the bed where the two women still slept. He growled low and stalked back towards the bed, his fierce hands ripping the sheets off in an aggressive manor.

He delighted in it as the shocked women squealed. He didn’t give them a chance to speak.

“Get out!” He barked.

Both girls gaped at him.

“Now,” he spoke almost deathly quiet, a sudden stillness to his body.

“But Wolverine...” one of them purred, he couldn’t remember their names.

He waited a total of three seconds before walking towards the door, throwing it open and started to throw the women’s clothing outside, unmindful of the fact that he himself was naked. He was aware of the fact that the two women had edged off the bed but they were moving to slow for his liking.

Spinning around suddenly he snarled and felt his claws shoot out of his knuckles. The smaller of the two women squeaked in shock and no doubt fear as she ran for the door. The other followed but her eyes were still on him and he didn’t like it at all.

Picking up the lamp he threw it at the wall and screamed, “Get the fuck out!”

She followed her friend but he didn’t give her a chance to shut the door as he slammed it so hard himself that the hinges rattled and the bottom of the door split slightly.

Standing stark naked in his room, he closed his eyes and took several deep breaths as he willed his claws to slide back in. After a few minutes he was an unable to accomplish his task. Opening his eyes he marched towards the bathroom and turned the shower on. At least there he could hide the sudden wetness on his cheeks. At least there he could hide it from himself.
‘Mama, always said don’t let the strangers in’ by noVa451
Pietro didn’t bother to knock as he glanced at his sister once before pushing past the door. He turned his nose up at touching the dirty door handle. His eyes sought the Wolverine as he wiped his hand on his long black coat that covered all the way past his deep forest green t-shirt and his black jeans.

“From the mansion to this,” he observed as he glanced at the stoic like Wolverine who simply sat on the edge of the bed dressed in jeans, a white undershirt, an open flannel top and his beat up leather jacket. “How pitiful,” Pietro finished.

Wolverine grunted as he raised the beer he was holding up to his lips for a mouthful. “You must be Pie Troll.”

Pietro grimaced and was annoyed to find Wolverine had yet to even acknowledge them with eye contact. “That’s not even close to how my name sounds.”

Logan shrugged as he tilted his head back to finish his beer before reaching for another.

“I thought you instructed him to be sober,” Wanda spoke from behind her brother as she moved around the room, her nose scrunched up in plain disgust.

Logan suddenly eyed Wanda with hostility.

“Who are you?”

Wanda smirked as she glided around the room. “Why the need to know my name Wolverine, it’s not like you need it to fuck me.” She emphasized her point by raising her eyebrows at the pair of purple lacy underwear that was dangling from the ceiling fan.

A trickle of a growl slipped past his lips in warning.

“How does a man get to this point?” She mused suddenly.

“Even a beast has standards in choosing its mate.”

Logan stilled on the bed as his muscles went taunt.

Pietro sighed dramatically as he dropped into one of the chairs gracefully despite the fact that he allowed one leg to drape over the arm of the chair.

“Don’t you know sister,” he started as he sneered at Logan. “The story goes that some girl broke his heart. Shattered it to pieces. Piece by Piece.”

Logan’s growl got louder as he kept his eyes on the ground.

“By piece,” Wanda interjected and Logan’s eyes snapped up to watch her and then moved back with a glare towards Pietro.

“Now in revenge he lives his life comforted by his booze, by his nameless women.”

“Oh you sure showed her,” Wanda added in amusement.

Logan snarled and threw his beer at Wanda who ducked easily but his body was already launched towards Pietro with his fists out. He expected to make contact but he was surprised when all he saw was a green blur and he felt a hit to the back of his head as he tumbled into the chair. Snarling he turned around and was surprised to find Pietro standing tall in front of him.

“Don’t tell me the Wolverine is losing his edge,’ Pietro mocked. “Here,” he added as he reached down for another beer and threw it at Logan. “One for the road.”

“What the hell do you people want?” Logan yelled.
Pietro quirked his head and glanced at his sister. “Have you already forgotten what we discussed, Logan?”

Logan narrowed his eyes. “Seems to me you’re just a bunch of mutants looking to get your rocks off somehow. In fact, you remind me exactly of the type of people Rogue would run with. So what is she, outside? Figured she’d come have some more fun at my expense.”

Wanda’s face fell. “He doesn’t believe it’s true.”

Pietro eyed his sister before setting his steel like eyes on Logan. “Oh part of him does, it’s just that the other half that’s unwilling to accept its true is winning at the moment and anger is so much better then pain isn’t it Logan. The dull haze of alcohol is so much better than the burning sensation of reality.”

“Show me then,” Logan snapped.

“You’d have to come with us,” Wanda responded.

Logan bared his teeth. “And who exactly are you people?”

“Well as you have just experienced, my sister and I are both mutants. My name is Pietro but I also go by the name Quicksilver.”

“I am Wanda also known as Scarlet Witch.”

Pietro’s lips twitched suddenly into a smile. “And yes we were friends of Rogue’s.”

“Which makes me less inclined to trust you,” Logan grunted.

“She really did a number on you didn’t she,” Wanda remarked dryly.

“Wanda!” Pietro snapped suddenly.

Pietro eyed the sliver tips that were sticking out of Logan’s knuckles. “No need for violence, Wolverine.”

“Yeah, well you two ain’t said anything to make me wanna sit around and be civil discussing the weather.”

Pietro sighed and headed towards the door.

“We’ll take you to her, Logan.” His eyes were suddenly earnest. “Believe me I wish this was a trap because then it wouldn’t be true.” He paused as he opened the door. “You can follow on your bike as I’m sure we haven’t reached that point yet were you’d be willing to share a ride.”

Logan snorted as Pietro disappeared through the door.

He eyed Wanda as she followed her brother. She too stopped at the door as her eyes flickered towards the lacy underwear still hanging from the ceiling fan.

“Don’t forget your souvenir.”
‘Don’t go down that rabbit hole, the darkness called to me’ by noVa451
Author's Notes:
Just a quick note: Wanda in this story is based off of the version from X-Men: Evolution, mainly the fact that she has a bit of an attitude.
“Sunny place you got going on here,” Logan muttered as he rubbed his hands in the cold damp air of the alleyway.

Wanda rolled her eyes at him as she knocked three times on the steel door before them.

“Jaime, its Wanda,” she spoke clearly as her brother kept a look out.

The fact that the two of them had become gradually more tense since leaving the motel did nothing to sooth Logan’s wariness.

The door clanged from the inside and was followed by the screech of metal scrapping as the door shifted and opened for Wanda. Logan followed as Pietro slipped behind them.

Another young man stood in front of Logan with a disarming smile as he nodded at the three of them. He was even taller than Pietro but not nearly as intimidating as his dirty blonde locks of loose hair seemed to match his easy going demeanour.

“Any problems?” Pietro asked very businesslike.

“Not any new problems if that’s what you mean,” Jaime smirked.

When Pietro frowned Jaime bashfully rubbed the back of his neck as his smirk fell. “Sorry, it’s a habit you know, using humour in these times.”

Pietro eyed him.

“No, no problems,” Jaime muttered.

The hallway they were in was dark and Logan could barely make out the stairs that were leading down. Wanda started heading for them. “Jaime,” she called over her shoulder as she descended. “Meet Logan, the Wolverine.”

She soon disappeared down into the depths of the basement and was followed by her suddenly silent brother whose silver hair shone in the darkness.

“Nice to meet you, Wolverine,” Jaime spoke as he held out his hand. “The name’s Jaime.”

Logan eyed his outstretched hand with one perfectly raised eyebrow and gazed after where both Pietro and Wanda had disappeared to.

“Aw, don’t be put off by the Maximoff twins,” he smirked as his eyes twinkled. “And don’t think the rest of us don’t know how to communicate without sneering. It tends to be just a Maximoff thing.”

Logan grunted and found nothing false in the man’s good nature and shook his hand. “Call me Logan.”

“Jaime,” Wanda’s voice called up from the darkness with impatience.

Jaime nodded his head at Logan and beckoned him to follow him down the stairs. It was a long flight of stairs but by the time they reached the bottom Logan found himself in a new hallway lit with brighter blue lights. At the end of the hallway both Pietro and Wanda stood waiting outside a door beside a man who Logan realized looked exactly like Jaime.

“Your brother?”

Jaime smiled and slipped past Logan to stand beside his twin. The twin raised his hand towards Logan and introduced himself as they shook.

“The name’s Jaime.”

Both of Logan’s eyebrows rose up.

“What?”

Both Jaime’s turned and smirked at each other before suddenly the air between them blurred and one absorbed the other.

“Quit showing off,” Pietro commanded dryly.

The single Jaime shrugged his shoulders at Logan and leaned in. “I’m also called Multiple Man.”

“Interesting gift you got goin’ on there,” Logan replied.

Jaime winked at him. “You have no idea. The ladies...love it.”

“Jaime,” Wanda snapped. “Have you forgotten where we are? What we are doing?”

Jaime glowered at her. “No, Wanda,” he responded solemnly. “Forgive me for trying to survive by looking on the bright side.”

“Enough,” Pietro interrupted as he stepped between the two, no doubt sensing Wanda’s retort. “I believe Wolverine wishes to see what’s behind this door.”

“I doubt he wishes it,” Jaime muttered uncharacteristically sour.

All three of them looked at Logan with unwavering gazes.

“Well,” Wanda interjected. “Are you going to open the door or not? You do know how to open a door, don’t you?”

Logan glared at her.

“Must be hard,” Pietro spoke up, surprisingly soft. “Trying to decide if you’d rather it be a trap or the truth we speak.”

Jaime’s mouth gaped open. “You mean he doesn’t believe that...”

Pietro’s sharp eyes snapped at Jaime for silence.

“No,” Jaime argued back. “You can’t just throw him in there and...”

“Jaime, shouldn’t someone be on look out,” Wanda spoke.
Jaime smirked. “I’m good at my job Wanda, don’t assume all of the me’s are standing here with you.”

His response surprisingly caused Wanda to smile.

Pietro opened the door as Logan felt a sense of fear encompassed by a rolling sense of the unknown sweep over him like a tidal wave. He realized suddenly he didn’t want that door to open but it was too late.

“We’ll give you a moment,” Pietro spoke quietly behind him as his feet shuffled forward all on his own and the door clanged shut behind him.

But all the noise behind him was forgotten as the scene before him knocked the breath right out of him. There was only one thing in the room and it was a coffin.
‘Six feet under and I lay breathing’ by noVa451
Logan’s eyes shifted around the room, unwilling to allow his mind to fully comprehend what was before him. He breathed in the stale air with a heavy sigh as his feet slowly shuffled forward. Hesitantly his hand caressed the smooth wood of the coffin before he took a deep breath and flipped open the lid.

A sound caught between a gasp and whimper caught in his throat as his wide eyes took in the still body.
Rogue lay upon the silk of the coffin perfectly still. Her eyes closed, her extremely pale face looking absurdly peaceful. Tentatively, he caressed her cheek, somehow still shocked to find its surface cold; the sensation reminding him of a memory almost a decade old; him standing atop the Statue of Liberty cradling her rapidly cooling body as he desperately willed his power into her.

Another whimper caught in his throat and he clenched his teeth. The trail of his thumb moved from her cheek over her full red lips. His hand fell and dangled in her still silky smooth chestnut coloured strands of hair. Someone had cleaned her up and applied a light amount of make-up.

The position of her hands struck him as too neat as they rested on top of her stomach. She was too posed for his liking. She was too dead for his liking. But despite the fact that someone had taken the time to make her body presentable, he could smell the lingering taint of bloodshed.

He growled suddenly and bowed his head away as he slammed his hands on the table the coffin was resting on.

“Damn it, Marie,” he swore desperately. “This wasn’t how things were suppose to turn out. If you hadn’t....if you’d just....FUCK!” he roared suddenly.

He paced suddenly and sharply turned away from her body as though distancing himself before turning back around.

“You always had to do everything the hard way,” he snapped viciously.

Leaning beside her body again he whispered harshly, “You stubborn bitch.” The tone lacked any real heat as the despair ate through his words.

He raised the palms of his hands to his face as he rubbed his eyes harshly, somehow willing the tears back in.
Twirling around with a snarl he unleashed his claws and struck at the cement wall. Over and over again he slashed against its surface, the sting of his claws hitting the cement not enough to satisfy him as he raged.


***

“Well,” Wanda started quietly as the three of them stood waiting outside the door listening to Logan’s howls and the destruction he was executing. “I think he’s taking it well.”

“Guess he believes you now, Wanda,” Jaime responded bitterly.

“The question now is,” Pietro pondered. “What’s he going to do next?”

Wanda scoffed. “Find the nearest watering hole and drink himself to death.”

Pietro’s eyes twinkled at her. “Ye of such little faith.”

The door abruptly clanged open as a scowling and suddenly reserved Logan walked out. His claws slowly receding back under his skin as he barely glanced at them, his eyes ahead.

“I’ll be taking her back with me.”

Wanda smirked suddenly and sauntered over towards him, ignoring the warning signs his body language was giving off.

“Back where, Wolverine?” she scoffed amused.

His gaze flickered towards her as he eyed her from the side.

“Home.”

Wanda’s face turned with sudden rage in a flash.

“And where would that be?” she spoke in a cold voice. “The mansion?” Her dark eyes narrowed. “I think not.”

Logan’s gaze whipped around to focus on her as he growled. “Like I care what you think.”

“Why?” Pietro spoke up.

Logan narrowed his eyes in annoyance. “Why what?”

“Why take her back there?” Pietro asked with earnest. “I was under the assumption she wasn’t welcomed by the X-Men anymore.”

“That’s not exactly true,” Logan muttered.

“But not entirely false either,” Wanda added.

“How is it that you know so much?” Logan snapped.

Wanda smiled really slowly. “I know enough to question why you would want to take her back there. It’s been three years. As well the obvious fact that in the end they weren’t exactly sweet memories she left you with. It is the place where it all fell apart.”

Logan was quiet for a moment before he spoke quietly. “It was her home once. Briefly...” he turned away, angry and perhaps embarrassed he was about to appear exposed. “It was our home. She was... happy once.”

“And just that once is enough to wipe away the betrayal?” Pietro spoke keenly.

Logan glared at the silver haired mutant. “Why do you care so much? You said she was your friend. You were friends with her despite everything she may have done with you.”

“Ah but you see,” Wanda spoke up. “It’s actually what she never did to Pietro that has him so concerned.”

Pietro glared at his sister. “Be quiet.”

Wanda carried on despite his warning. “You probably have a lot of regrets Wolverine. Perhaps even the regret of not having Rogue one last time. But you see that’s where you and Pietro differ; he regrets never getting the chance to get on that ride to begin with.”

Pietro’s silent stare directed towards his sister spoke volumes.

Logan’s body tensed before he smirked uneasily and snorted.

“You mean she didn’t fuck you,” he exclaimed. “I’m surprised,” he continued and finished bitterly. “You must have been one of the few.”

“You know Wolverine, you and Rogue are...were a lot alike but I gotta say this, at least Rogue had a little more discretion who she chose as a partner. A little more class. I mean where she upgraded, you,” she interrupted with a laugh. “You certainly downgraded.”

Logan snarled and leapt towards her before unexpectedly four Jaimes appeared in front of him, pushing him back.

Wanda glared at them both before walking away.

Three of the Jaimes blurred into one as the single Jaime leaned in towards Logan as he whispered. “Don’t. You’re just giving her exactly what she wants. She wants to lash out at you, at anyone right now. We’re all a little torn up right now and you’d just be doing her a favour.”

“How exactly did you all become such a chummy band of mutants?” Logan grated.

“You could say Rogue found we all had a mutual problem and we bonded over it.”

“Seems a new problem caught up with her anyways,” Logan muttered more to himself. “What happened?” he demanded.

“She was assassinated,” Wanda snapped.

“What?” he gasped in disbelief. “That’s not possible. I mean...I know she was no Saint but her affiliations were never in too deep to warrant much attention.”

“Yeah, well the eight bullet holes that riddle her now dead body say otherwise,” Wanda explained.

Logan grimaced and clenched his jaw. “Who?”

“Were not exactly sure,” Jaime answered.

“You say you’ve been running with her for some time and she up and gets killed and you don’t have any idea why or who.”

“We have a few possible theories,” Pietro supplied.

“Yeah, well it ain’t my concern who’s after you guys. I’m taking her back home to be buried.”

“Your concern may not be for us but it is obvious that you still have lingering concern for Rogue.”

“Meaning?” Logan huffed.

“You get a chance to play the hero once more for her,” Wanda provided with a hint of mockery. “Where you failed before.”

“What the hell is that suppose to mean?” Logan yelled.

“Which part?” Wanda remarked.

“Logan,” Pietro yelled suddenly over his sister as he stepped in. “There are still people after Rogue.”

“Yeah, well didn’t they all get the newsflash when she was killed,’ he snapped with unhidden rage. “What would they want with a dead body?”

“Those after her can provide a fate much worse than death,” Wanda answered surprisingly delicately.

“You know you’re not making any sense,” he snapped.

“As much as it pains me to say this,” Wanda sighed. “We need you Wolverine. We need your assistance in protecting Rogue for the next three days. We need you to make sure her body doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.”

Stunned Logan spoke. “Who exactly would still be after her even in death?”

“That mutual problem Pietro mentioned,” Jaime answered.

“Magneto,” Pietro supplied chillingly.
‘Please lay my soul to rest’ by noVa451
“Magneto?” Logan gasped and shook his head. “No, that’s not possible.”

“You seem to think a lot of things aren’t possible,” Wanda scathingly countered.

Logan ignored her. “Magneto had nothing against Rogue; in fact after the years...after Liberty Island he was the one who was afraid of a possible vendetta. When Rogue left the X-Men he saw it as a benefit to his cause.”

“Yes, but Rogue never joined the Brotherhood,” Pietro stated. “She despised him. And she doesn’t take being told what do very well as I’m sure you know.”

Logan snorted. “Anyone leaving Xavier’s fold and Magneto sees it as his own victory.”

“The man’s ego knows no bounds,” Jaime interjected with a shrug.

“We do not believe Magneto was directly responsible for her death,” Pietro spoke up. “But whatever Rogue was involved in before her death he was very interested in.”

“And still is,” Wanda remarked with an edge.

“Why?”

“We don’t know,” Pietro supplied with a defeated sigh.
“What we do know is that Rogue isn’t out of the woods yet.”

“We have contacts in the mutant underground and there’s a nasty little rumour that Magneto has sent a mutant on the run after us,” Jaime explained.

Logan glanced at the three of them noticing how extremely tense they all were.

“What has you all on edge?” he asked suspiciously. “I’m willing to understand why you wouldn’t want her body to be vandalized somehow but your concern or should I say paranoia seems somehow out of place.”

“Not if you knew who the mutant was,” Wanda replied.

“Logan,” Pietro started. “Magneto desperately wants to know what Rogue was up to, what she knew...at any cost.”

“How is it that none of you knew what she was up to?”
Logan snapped.

Wanda stepped forth and glared at Logan. “Things started to change about four months ago.”

“Around the spring time,” Jaime added.

“Rogue started to act very differently. She was on edge, she was stressed and she was isolating herself from us. She’d disappear for a few days and return looking even worse than when she had left. She was snappy and when I tried to confront her about it,” Wanda paused. “Things didn’t go over to well.”

Logan looked concern. “No idea what brought on the sudden change?”

Wanda shook her head no. “She was getting various private phone calls. I knew confronting her would be pointless so I snooped around a bit. I wasn’t able to find much but what I did find wasn’t very comforting.”

“What?” Logan snapped.

“She was using.”

“Using?”

“Drugs, Wolverine. But I don’t mean the shit you can get on any back alley in any city. It was high class stuff. Never seen it in my life. A bag full of green viles that were to be injected. I mean there are plenty of up and coming drugs specifically marketed towards mutants but I couldn’t be sure.”

Logan shook his head quietly as he began to pace.

Wanda eyed him and continued on. “I was waiting for things to get worse after finding the drugs but surprisingly things didn’t, in fact Rogue seemed to realize we were catching on and she confided in me as much as I suppose she thought she could,” she finished bitterly. “Told me she had to go away for a while. She had something important to take care of and that she couldn’t tell me or any of us because she didn’t want us to be put in any kind of danger. I objected. The mere fact that there was actual fear in her eyes, that she was unable to hide it did nothing but make me refuse more. After our argument she reluctantly consented and said she’d wait for us all to be able to back her up.” Wanda suddenly laughed bitterly. “I should have realized she’d agreed too fast. She was gone the next day. Slipped away before we even had a chance.”

“We tracked her down to Detroit but it was too late,” Pietro finished for his sister who had suddenly turned away to face the wall.

Logan was silently glaring at the door where Rogue’s body lay behind. His body was taunt with a sense of distraught rage and grief. The animal in him wanted to be running, wanted to be hacking into a tree trunk with his claws; somehow trying to figure out a way to dispel this energy from his body. The feeling of regret and utter helplessness was soaking him up and it was too much of a sudden reality for him. Abruptly, the world he had been living in had been thrown off its axis and he was forced to wake up in a much more harsher world, a world he’d tried to forget three years ago because suddenly once again he was in a world where he didn’t have Marie.

“That’s all we have to go on,” he gritted through his teeth.

“We know nothing about why she was killed, Wolverine,” Pietro answered. “But what we do know is the basic facts of the reality we face now and that is that we are on the run. Magneto has sent a mutant after us whose power is to be able to reanimate the dead.”

Logan’s head snapped around quickly as he eyed Pietro. “Then why the hell are we running. If this mutant can bring Rogue back,” he demanded.

“Would you be looking forward to fucking a corpse then?” Wanda began darkly. “He didn’t say ‘bring back to life’, he said reanimate the dead. Make Rogue a fucking zombie, a fucking shell of what she use to be, to be controlled and manipulated by this mutant.”

Logan’s face fell. “That bastard,” he seethed as he turned around and punched his fist through the wall. “Even in her death he can’t leave her be.”

“I see Magneto is a bit of a sore spot for you as well,” Pietro remarked dryly.

Wanda carried on. “The mutant he has sent after us is a woman. She’s simply known as Dead Girl and she’s a hired hand, not Brotherhood. And that’s why we need you Wolverine, because this mutant is already dead and she has keen senses. She won’t be an easy one deal with. We need your senses to match hers.”

“Already dead?” Logan remarked.

“Hence, the name Dead Girl,” Jaime added.

Logan scowled at him.

“There is an upside though,” Pietro interrupted.

“Really?” Logan snapped in disbelief.

“Dead Girl’s abilities to be able to reanimate a dead body and be able to retrieve the specific information from the host before they died is limited. She only has a window of five days to be able to accomplish the task.”

“Why five days?”

Pietro shrugged his shoulders. “I do not know. I don’t know what there is after this life, perhaps it has something to do with the belief of one’s soul but all I know is the basic facts. It’s been two days and counting since Rogue’s death, which leaves us just under three days. If we are able to hold Dead Girl off for that time she will no longer be a threat.”

“This is ridiculous,” Logan yelled in frustration.

“Ridiculous, but true,” Wanda yelled back. “And since it’s true we don’t have time to wallow in our grief. Rogue still needs us, so the question is Wolverine, are you willing to step up to the plate once more?”

“I don’t really like you and I don’t fuckin’ trust you people.”

“That’s not what she asked,” Jaime pointed out.

Logan glanced once more at the door before letting out a breath and sighing. “I’m in.”

Pietro smiled. “Good.”
‘Cover my ears and the truth sounds clearer’ by noVa451
Pietro glanced at his watch. “I’m going to make a phone call and then we need to head out.”

As he headed for the hallway he nodded to Jaime. “You’re in charge of loading the van.”

Jaime nodded and mumbled under his breath. “I’m always the one doing the heavy lifting.”

Logan noticed Wanda was still eyeing him.

“Is that your mutant power? To observe.”

Wanda smirked. “What, Wolverine, you don’t like the attention? I’m shocked.”

“What is your problem?”

She narrowed her eyes. “If you want it that simply, my problem is you.”

“Wanda,” Jaime half-heartedly warned.

“You don’t even know me,” Logan retorted.

“At this point I’d say you don’t even know yourself but I know all there is to know about you.”

“I have no idea what your problem is and I don’t give a shit.”

Jaime leaned off the wall as he ignored the fuming Wanda and moved closer towards Logan.

“She has issues with you. Kind of blames you for the shit with Rogue.”

“Jaime,” Wanda hissed.

Jaime shrugged unaffected but he turned his gaze away.

“What the fuck do you care? You weren’t friends with her until after her and I were over.”

“See that’s just it, you weren’t fucking over. You wanna know what one of the telling signs was with Rogue that something was up with her in the past months.” Wanda raised both her eyebrows at his sudden quietness and continued on. “You, Wolverine. You were suddenly a topic.”

Logan failed to hide the surprise in his eyes.

“And you wanna know why that was so god damn off putting? She never mentioned you once in the two years I knew her and I mean everyone pretty much knew about your past relationship. I mean the Wolverine and the Rogue of the X-Men, the powerhouse couple and of course the reputations you both earned after you broke up. But despite that history she never talked about it until suddenly things started hitting the fan.”

“And how is that my fault?” Logan barked with anger.

“Because,” Wanda spoke up. “You let it all fall apart in the first place. And where were you while she was being shot down in the middle of some deserted street? You had your dick in some other whore’s...”

“Shut up,” Logan snapped; his eyes furious. “Shut the fuck up. You think you know everything? Huh?!” he demanded. “Seems to me like you had the shades on when it came to your dear friend Rogue,” he continued to spat and refused to acknowledge that his voice cracked. “She was the one who cheated on me. She was the one who decided it was over. That I wasn’t going to be a part of her life.”

Wanda didn’t even flinch. “And you just let her go.”

Logan’s eyes widened. “By the time I’d found out she wasn’t just fucking one other guy in the mansion but two, I’m pretty sure it was no longer in my hands.”

Wanda still didn’t seem surprised by his information.

“And that was that then.”

Logan’s eyes hardened. “She knew how I felt, what it meant for us to be in a relationship and she threw it away. She made me into a fool.”

“Oh there’s no doubt about that,” Wanda remarked.

“You make it seem like somehow it was my fault. But you want to know what the worst part was, when she said she loved me, she meant it, she wasn’t lying but her actions spoke more.”

“Did you ever ask her why?” Wanda asked suddenly reserved.

Logan’s eyes snapped up to face her gaze as he snarled. “How could she have done that to me? To us?”

“That wasn’t the question,” Wanda responded. “I said why? You ever ask her why she did it, not how could she.”

“It was pretty obvious why,” he spat bitterly.

Wanda moved to follow where her brother had left moments before, the conversation apparently over.

She paused before turning the corner. “If you think it was because you weren’t enough for her, well,” she paused again. “Even I can’t pretend that was true,” she finished and left.

Logan creased his forehead in confusion. “What the hell does that mean?”

“It means,” Jaime began and Logan turned suddenly remembering the strange conversation he had just had hadn’t been private. “That for all of Wanda’s bravado and anger, she doesn’t really hate you. A lot of that anger is for Rogue up and dying on us and well you’re the closest thing that she sees right now as her emotional punching bag.”

“Yeah well that ends now.”

Jaime nodded.

“Can I ask you a question?” Logan asked offhand.

“Sure.”

“What was Rogue like as your friend?”

Jaime smiled. “She was a bit of a loose cannon.”

Logan snorted.

“But she was a loyal friend, which makes it hard for me to imagine the Rogue you knew.”

“I knew many different Rogues,” Logan spoke solemnly. “But in the end I finished with one I didn’t recognize.”

Jaime nodded. “Love’s a bitch man.”

Logan glared at him.

“Sorry,” he remarked. Jaime glanced sheepishly at the ground for a second. “Mind giving me a hand?” He motioned towards the door where the casket lay behind.

Logan stepped forward, his answer already clear. “They aren’t coming back down to assist?”

“Nah, I’m sure just you and me can handle it,” he answered. “Oh and me and me,” he remarked as he multiplied right in front of Logan and two more Jaime’s stood in front of the door.

“Somehow I don’t think I’m going to get use to that,” Logan remarked and shook his head as he passed through the threshold once again where he was faced with his failed past.
‘Driving forward, ain’t nothing but two steps back’ by noVa451
“Any idea where we are going?” Logan grunted from the back seat of the van. He grumbled slightly as he elbowed the napping Jaime to move back over to his side.

“Anywhere and everywhere,” Pietro answered steadily as he kept his eyes on the road ahead of him.

Logan snorted.

Wanda glanced at Logan in the rear-view mirror. “We have no exact destination at this time. It’s too dangerous. Magneto can easily find out places that we’ve used in the past or the locations of mutant safe houses. So we need to just remain on the run and outpace Dead Girl.”

“We keep changing directions. Try to keep the trail cold,” Pietro spoke up.

“How is it that Magneto knows so much?”

Wanda glanced at her brother who remained focused on driving before speaking. “You should know he has his ways. Did you ever wonder how he found you and Rogue in the middle of Canada?”

Logan remained quite.

“I suppose it was a remarkable thing you were with her when Sabretooth attacked,” Pietro remarked surprisingly neutral.

“You say it as though it was a good thing.”

Logan kept his eyes on the rear view mirror as he watched Pietro’s expression, surprised to meet his gaze.

“She would have died in Magneto’s machine if she hadn’t have been rescued.”

“By you,” Wanda interjected.

“Tell me, Wolverine,” Pietro continued, his gaze meeting Logan’s in the mirror once again. “If the X-Men hadn’t of saved the two of you on that deserted road would you still of had the desire to go after her?”

Logan glared silently at the two mutants in the front of the van, further perturbed by the situation he was stuck in. Rogue’s cold dead body was lying in a casket behind him and two strangers were questioning him, too intimately about his relationship with her; questioning him about a past that had held a future but had failed. That failure was made more evident with each passing moment as the coffin dug into the back seat.

He felt as cold as her body. An iciness had coated his metal skeleton ever since he’d lifted the lid on her coffin and now it had spread throughout the rest of his body. It was a surreal experience. He could feel the simmering rage and grief the more feral side of him was wallowing in but he knew the time to release that energy was for later.

“Yes,” the suddenly awake Jaime spoke.

Logan eyed him discreetly.

Wanda shifted in her seat with a huff from the front. “You’re too much of a romantic, Jaime.”

“And you’re not enough of one,” Jaime countered as he yawned.

“He only would have gone after them because Sabretooth had wounded his pathetic pride.”

“Is it just me or do you hate all men in general?” Logan growled at her as he became more agitated.

Turning over her shoulder she glared at them both. “Enlighten us, Jaime,” she spat.

“If he was willing to go and save her just after a day or two what makes you think he wouldn’t have after their first meeting,” Jaime stated matter of fact. “Clearly, something occurred in their first meeting to make such a connection despite Sabretooth’s interrupted timing.”

“What is it with you people and your fascination with my life,” Logan grumbled. “Stop talking around me like I’m some kind of subject for you to dissect.”

He was unnerved more by Jaime’s sudden insight. He’d just met these people and he knew nothing about them. Glancing out of the window he was pleased when no more questions were brought up and the van was silent again. His stern reflection staring back at him, he was faced with the fact that Jaime was more than likely right. He tried not to analyze his relationship with Rogue too much, especially considering where he was presently but as he caught the glint in his eye he knew the truth. The moment she’d eyed him across the bar he’d been split open by her gaze, he’d felt himself be marked and when he’d let her into his truck he knew that a dark, feral, simplistic part of him had marked her too. He didn’t know how to explain it. Her scent had woken something up inside of him but her eyes had forever held him. She was the first to care. She was his.

He spotted the casket in the reflection of the window. She wasn’t his anymore and she hadn’t been for a long time. The claws slid out of his hands silently but no one noticed. She’d always noticed, always been concerned for him, knowing the pain it caused him every time. He closed his eyes and leant against the cool glass as he calmed his breathing and felt his claws slide back in.

He was on the road to nowhere.
‘A rest stop is just another opportunity for distraction’ by noVa451
“Really, Wolverine?” Wanda exclaimed as she sat down on the picnic bench. Her gaze was unwavering as she raised both eyebrows in Logan’s direction.

He stood leaning against the picnic bench with a can of beer in his hand. He pretended to be oblivious to Wanda as he watched the different people move in and out of the gas station.

“Hey!” Jaime exclaimed from his spot on the other side of the picnic bench as Wanda swiped one of his fries.
She rolled her eyes and Jaime continued to mumble around the hamburger in his mouth.

“That’s your second burger, you can spare it.”

“In case you’ve forgotten, I’ve got a metabolism to keep up.”

“You hungry, Wolverine?” Wanda asked with a hint of mocking.

“No,” he answered sternly as he took a sip.

“But you sure are thirsty aren’t you,” she remarked highly.

A trickle of a growl passed his lips but he ignored her.

“Lay off, Wanda its one beer, he heals and besides the store didn’t have much of a selection anyways, where in the middle of nowhere.”

“That’s not the point,” Wanda snapped back. “We’re on a mission right now.”

Logan snorted.

“What’s your problem now?” She directed at him harshly.

“Pick one,” he snapped back before tossing his beer can into the garbage. He turned to face her. “We’ve been driving for almost a day and a half with no actual purpose. I’m beginning to think you’re just paranoid.”

Wanda’s dark eyes narrowed at him. A sudden tension filled her body before she spoke next. “No one’s forcing you to stay.”

Logan glared back at the gas station where he spotted Pietro filling the tank. “Ain’t stayin’ cause of you,” he muttered.

Wanda opened her mouth slightly before closing it again.

“You guys are worried about something and you’re not letting on. It doesn’t make that much sense. How does Magneto know so much about you guys?”

“He just does...” she started before he interrupted her.

“Cut the bull alright,” he demanded back. “I accept that you may not know what happened to Rogue but you wouldn’t be on the run like this unless you had some damn good reliable information about Magneto. So how is it that you know enough about him to be concerned?”

Wanda’s eyes suddenly became like steel as her lips remained tightly shut.

“Suddenly, quiet now are we,” he smirked back but his eyes were still demanding. “How...?”

“He’s our father,” Pietro answered as he approached them.

Logan narrowed his eyes as he observed both Wanda and Pietro. “That bastard is your father,” he gasped.

“Unfortunately,” Pietro answered with his usual stern face. “But don’t go thinking blood is thicker than water.”

“We’re nothing like our father,” Wanda spat with ferocious disdain.

“He’s tried to recruit us before but since we’ve rejected his way, his become adamant in getting us to join his brotherhood. We know what he’s capable of far better then perhaps even you, so we take this very seriously.”

Logan suddenly laughed.

“Suddenly, I feel sorry for you guys.”

“Don’t,” Wanda bit back at him before walking towards the van. Pietro followed her.

The sound of rustling paper behind Logan drew his attention as Jaime scrunched up his garbage and threw it away.

“Suddenly it all makes sense,” he remarked as he stretched and nodded after Wanda. “The chip on her shoulder.”

Logan watched the two siblings as they got into the van with a keen eye as he rubbed his scruffy jaw. “I suppose but doesn’t mean I think she’s any less of a bitch.”

Jaime barked with laughter. “No, no I guess not,” he murmured with some humour.

“Let’s go,” Jaime directed as he walked past him. “I promise not to drool on you this time.”

When he didn’t hear a remark from Logan, Jaime turned around in confusion. Logan stepped forward but his face creased in concern and he tilted his head as his nose scented the air. Jaime easily spotted the abrupt tension to the other mutant’s stance.

“What is it?”

Logan held up his hand as his eyes quickly darted around them, scanning the perimeter.

“I smell decay.”

“Decay?” Jaime questioned before his eyes widened at a realization. “Oh shit, you don’t think...”

Logan’s gaze suddenly focused on a small figure that was covered in a dark sweater, the hood blocking their view of the person’s face. Their focus was unusually on the van.

“Go,” Logan directed with no room for argument. “Get in the damn van and tell them to get as far away as possible.”

Jaime ran for the van and he noticed out of the corner of his eye, the hooded figure moving towards the van with a sudden urgency.

“Pietro, Wanda we’ve got a problem!” he yelled as he approached.

Logan stalked the figure quickly coming up behind them as they were too focused on their objective, but Logan knew the moment that he was caught as the person’s back went completely still and straight.

“Something of a sudden interest to yah, bub,” he remarked.

For his remark he got a high kick directed towards his head as the person spun around. He ducked and came up quickly as he caught his attacker’s momentum and pinned their own arms against their body.

“That wasn’t very nice,” he gritted through his clenched teeth as he tried to ignore the stench coming off of the person.

He got a hiss in response as the attacker struggled, the hood falling off in the process and Logan’s eyes widened as he came face to face with Dead Girl.

Her blonde hair was still vibrant but noticeably brittle at the same time. Her skin was a pale blue shade and was incredibly dry but remarkably her dark eyes were still vibrant with life.

“I have no problem with you,” her dry voice cracked at him, her tone noticeably at a lower octave.

“Well you see, I think you do,” he countered as he caught her attacking kick with his own leg and kicked out knocking her to the ground with a noticeable crack. “’Cause what you’re after ain’t yours and I’m not letting you anywhere near Rogue and also you work for Magneto which doesn’t put you high in my books.”

She hissed at him again and sprang back up, mindless of the injury he’d just caused to her shin. She was quick as he darted her first couple of attacks but she caught him under the chin with surprising force. He stumbled back a bit which gave her time to move back towards the van.
The loud sound of the van’s tires screeching as Pietro stepped on the gas echoed throughout the suddenly deserted station.

“Oh no you don’t,” Logan spoke as he dove after the mutant. He caught her in a tight grip around her mid section but she spun around with surprising agility and threw him off of her body.

Logan landed with a thud against another parked car and left a noticeable dent. Standing up he cracked his neck as his claws slid out of his knuckles. “Well, I guess were in a disagreement,” he remarked as he charged at her.

She was prepared for his attacked and put her arm up to catch him but she wasn’t prepared for the claws and she released a small muffled cry as the claws slid through her wrist and dismembered her hand.

The hand lay on the ground in between them as both of them glanced at it, Logan with more shock then her. He was surprised to notice there was no blood. He was shaken out of his reverie when he noticed the fingers suddenly twitching on their own as they moved forward like tiny insects as the hand itself dragged itself back towards Dead Girl.

“Oh, hell no,” Logan muttered. Stepping forward he kicked the hand as far away as he could just as she paused to reach down for it.

Her glassy like eyes bore into him with anger as he took a step back and she lunged for him. He kicked out with his feet and she fell back down.

The van’s tire’s screeched behind him again and he was furious to find it was still in the parking lot. The van swerved up behind him as Jaime swung the door up.

“Logan get in!” he yelled.

Logan noticed Dead Girl’s interest was suddenly on the field where he’d kicked her hand and he bolted for the door and jumped in as Pietro drove off.

Logan glanced out the back window all the way for three blocks until they were back on the highway before he settled in his seat releasing a breath.

“Now do you believe us,” Wanda asked seriously, her voice lacking her usual snide tone.

Logan nodded. “Yes.” His face turning grave.
‘I cover my tracks, but the shadows still haunt me’ by noVa451
“Make a right,” Logan instructed sharply.

“Why?” Wanda asked as she kept her hands steady on the wheel.

“Just do it,” Logan grunted with agitation and nodded to the rural road that was coming up on the right.

Wanda swerved suddenly as she sharply turned right and continued down the country road.

“What was that all about?” she asked.

Logan didn’t answer her as he turned to stare out the back window. Jaime noticed the scowl that started to shadow over the other man’s face.

“When we reach the next intersection turn left and head through the more residential area.”

“If you wanted to drive you could have just said so,” Wanda supplied as she turned left anyways at the next intersection.

“Do what he says, Wanda,” Pietro spoke up.

“Yes, Pietro,” she seethed through her clenched teeth.

“What is it?” Jaime asked with concern.

“You see that black SUV a few cars back,” Logan nodded towards the back.

“Yeah.”

“It’s been behind us for the past half and hour and we haven’t been taking a generic route, we’ve taken too much of an abstract route for us to still have the same car behind us for this long.”

“He’s right,” Pietro added. “They’ve kept the same length behind us the past ten minutes.”

“Do you think it’s Dead Girl?” Jaime asked.

“I don’t know,” Logan answered his keen eyesight observing the vehicle. “Whoever it is, they’re not alone. The pressure on the tires is noticeable, there’s definitely a good size amount of weight in the vehicle.”

“Maybe she isn’t working alone,” Wanda wondered out loud for the rest of them.

Everyone was quiet for the next few moments as three guys kept their eyes trained on the SUV and Wanda manoeuvred them through the side rides.

“We’re coming up on a small suburb,” she informed them.

“Good,” Logan spoke.

Wanda turned right down the small street that was lined with houses and they all watched with held breath as the SUV carried on straight through the intersection and was no longer in their eye sight.

Jaime sighed. “Guess we can breathe easy now.”

No one answered him.

“Move us quickly through here and get us back on the side roads,” Pietro instructed his sister. “I don’t like us being in such a populated area right now.”

“Pietro never was much of a people person,” Jaime remarked dryly to Logan whose expression was still tight. “Come on man, relax a little. I mean a black SUV is a little cliché.”

Logan eyed him silently but Jaime wasn’t unnerved.

“Tough crowd,” Jaime muttered and leant back in his seat.

In eight minutes they were back on the side roads.

“Guys,” Wanda spoke up suddenly. “I think we have company again.” Her eyes darted in the rear view mirror and Logan caught on.

A warning of a growl vibrated through the van as Logan spotted the familiar black SUV turning onto the road behind them. They were the only two vehicles on the road.
Logan didn’t care for appearances. “Speed the fuck up right now,” he demanded and Wanda stepped on the gas pedal sharply.

When the SUV sped up as well, it confirmed their suspicions.

They were coming up to a bridge and Wanda pressured the gas pedal as much more as she could.

“Look out!” Jaime yelled as another black SUV suddenly darted out in front of them blocking their route off the bridge and Wanda swerved to avoid them.

The back of the van hit the guardrail and all four of them lurched forward.

The two SUV’s pulled to a full stop on either side as five men from each dressed in black fatigues came spilling out with guns trained on them.

“What’s the plan now,” Jaime whispered.

“Not get killed,” Logan responded as he counted the men and evaluated the odds.

There was an unexpected loud screeching noise behind them and both Jaime and Logan turned around surprised to find themselves meeting a ten storey drop into a river below. One of the back doors had been damaged so badly in the crash that the force had blown it open and it was hanging on by one hinge. The coffin Logan noticed with concern was hanging half in the van and half over the dented guardrail leading to the drop.

“This isn’t looking good on a lot of fronts,” Jaime felt the need to add nervously.

“No shit,” Wanda conceded but her usual fury was on the trained men around them.

One of the men held up a megaphone to his stern looking face and spoke. “Come out of the vehicle with your hands up.”

“Maybe they’ve got the wrong van,” Jaime whispered as he crouched a little in his seat.

“We know you’re in there. So come out quietly and there will be little trouble.”

“He’s lying,” Pietro whispered.

“Really,” Logan ground out through his teeth.

“Do you think Magneto sent them?”

“No,” Wanda answered Jaime with resolve. “They’re not mutants.”

“How do you know for sure?” Jaime asked again.

“Because,” she remarked through a smirk. “They’re carrying guns and only humans carry guns. Their pathetic scapegoat that makes them think they have power.”

“Are you about to go on a power trip, Wanda?” Jaime eyed her.

“If it gets us out of here, I say go for it,” Logan added as he kept his eyes on the men surrounding the van and his hearing trained on the coffin for any indication it was about to fall.

“She’s definitely a mutant though,” Pietro noted as a female moved out from behind one of the SUV’s, her hips swaying as she walked through the men and came to stand in front of them.

Jaime let out a low whistle. “Now that’s definitely not Dead Girl.”

The woman was tall and slender and it was obvious with each deliberate step she took that she was extremely agile, her body springing up as she walked. There was something very reptilian about her and the fact that even from a distance away Logan could make out a shimmer to her skin that was showing only confirmed his guess. She had snakelike skin but still the body of a very exotic woman. Her short slicked back hair was the colour of the night sky at its darkest.

“Don’t be shy,” she yelled towards the van, suddenly taking over for the trained men.

She walked back and forth with her hips swaying completely calm. She didn’t appear to even been anxious and Logan knew that was going to be a problem. Where he could sense the men’s fear at the unknown threat of a few trapped mutants, the woman had no concern at all, but perhaps her calmness displayed something he could work to their advantage, she had patience.

“I’ve got an idea,” Logan spoke up.

“Being?” Pietro asked.

“I go out there and find out what they want.”

“It’s pretty obvious what they want,” Wanda stated.

“But why?” Pietro questioned.

“Seems Rogue was more of a popular girl then we originally thought,” Jaime added.

Wanda gripped the steering wheel. “I knew she was in too deep.”

She took a deep breath before facing Logan. “So what’s your plan, Wolverine? Get yourself shot?”

“Maybe,” Logan answered. “I go out there and if that happens I’m the only one who would survive, you all wouldn’t.”

“Aw, sis,” Pietro mocked. “He’s showing his concern for us.”

Logan scowled at him. “The way I see it between the four of us we have a chance but if we just jump out of the van their reaction will be to shoot first. If I can buy us some time, distract a few of them I’m sure you can handle the rest.”

“He’s right,” Pietro consented. “He goes out first and their focus will be split. Jaime and I can handle the ones on this side of the bridge quickly enough that they won’t know what hit them and Wanda will...”

“Be the Big Finish,” she finished for him.

Everyone nodded.

“Well go on,” Wanda directed at Logan. “It’s time for you to be the hero.”

Slowly, Logan opened the side door halfway, still concealing Jaime and showed both of his hands up and out in front of him as he gradually emerged from the van.
He kept his hands up as he took a few steps closer towards the woman.

“Just you?” she remarked with a little bit of amusement but her green eyes were all business like.

Logan shrugged and shot her one of his trademark smirks.

“So,” she began as she eyed the tinted windows of the van. “You were driving that van all by yourself...from the back seat.”

“What can I say,” Logan began. “I’ve got really long legs.”

The amusement dropped from her expression immediately. Snapping her fingers in the air the men pulled back the safety on their guns.

“Really, if you’d just co-operated it would be a whole lot simpler.”

“Who are you?”

The woman smiled. “You don’t need to know that and frankly I don’t care who you are.”

“If you don’t care, why did you nearly crash my van and now have several guns aimed at me.”

“Because you chose to associate yourself with a certain package that my boss wants in his possession.”

“Package?” Logan question. “Look, Lady I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The coffin,” she spat suddenly. “Rogue’s body.”

Logan’s eyes hardened. “Ain’t yours for the taking.”

“Such sudden possessiveness,” she remarked. “Why? Are you really willing to trade your life and your friends for an already dead one?”

“Isn’t this a bit redundant,” he started. “You telling me the ridiculous of the situation when you’ve got ten men with guns trained on me over a dead body. What interest do you have in a dead body?”

“In my line of business secrets have a way of creeping back up and I’m here to make sure that doesn’t happen.” She nodded towards the back of the trunk as one of the men pulled out what looked like a tank of gas. “Ashes to ashes,” she quoted before smirking. “Means I know for sure dead is dead and my boss’ secrets stay secret.”

“Who’s your boss?”

“Did you really think I was going to answer that?”

Logan shrugged. “Hey, I tried.”

“Yes, now try getting out of the way. Get down on your knees.”

In response Logan smirked. “I usually only get down on my knees for a few women but I mean if you insist, especially with an audience.”

Her eyes narrowed into slits that were reminiscent of a snake’s.

She opened her mouth to say something but a sudden yell from the other side of the van followed by the sound of a crash drew her attention.

She tilted her head towards the man with the mega phone.

“Do you have a clear line of sight to the other side?”

“No.”

As though sensing her next instructions he lifted the megaphone up to his face. “Rogers, what is your position over there?”

The woman frowned at the lack of response.

“Rogers?” the man tried again. “Answer me.”

“What type of game are you playing?” she directed at Logan. “Tell your friends to get out of the van now.”

“They’re not my friends.”

The woman scowled at him and abruptly turned on her heel as she proceeded to head back towards the SUV. “Shoot them,” she commanded.

Logan yelled and unleashed his claws as he caught the closest man in the mid section and attacked the next one without missing a beat. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a familiar green and black blur and noticed several of the men flew back a few spaces and landed on their backs as though a strong gust of wind had hit them. The green blur came to a standstill and Pietro remained standing tall in its wake.

He nodded at Logan.

“The men on the other side?” he questioned.

“Jaime is finishing taking care of them. I thought it was fair I mean ten of Jaime versus five of them.”

“We need to get the van into position for an escape.”

“I’m sure you two can handle that,” Wanda spoke suddenly
as she came up behind them. Her eyes were focused on the scattered men that were reaching for their guns. “I can handle this.”

Logan started to object when Pietro interrupted him.

“Believe me she can handle it,” he spoke confidently as he was a green blur once again as he raced towards the front of the van.

“Really, your concern is touching but go,” Wanda directed towards Logan as she stepped towards the men and held her hands out in front of her. There was a flash of white light and suddenly the men’s guns started to melt right in their hands.

“I see you’ve got it under control,” Logan smirked as he ran towards the van.

As he made his way closer he was alarmed by the fact that Pietro hadn’t got the engine started.

“What’s the problem?” Logan yelled as he made his way towards the door.

Pietro ignored him as he turned the key again and again until finally the van’s engine sputtered to life.

“I think it’s a little banged up,” the silver haired mutant remarked dryly.

“Yeah, but if it gets us away from here, it will do.”

Pietro stepped on the gas and the tires spun.

Jaime appeared suddenly in the passenger’s side window.

“One of the back tires is wedged between the guardrail and the ditch.”

“Then do something about it,” Pietro snapped.

“Wanda...” Jaime started.

“Is busy,” he spat.

Logan turned to watch Wanda and he was amazed to find that somehow she’d been able to destroy part of the bridge without even the shock of an explosion. The SUV and the scattered men, along with the unknown woman were backing up as the bridge on their side literally started to disappear and without the use of their guns they were going to be no threat.

“I don’t care if it takes twenty of you Jaime, but lift the wheel out NOW!” Pietro bellowed.

Jaime nodded and disappeared.

There was a loud screeching noise at the back as something dragged along the metal of the guardrail and Logan realized with horror that it was the coffin.
Sprinting towards the back of the van Logan just caught the end of the coffin going over the rail as he gripped the golden rails on the coffin itself as he tried to pull it back up. The muscles in his arms were straining as he tried to keep the coffin from pitching forward. Trying in vain he struggled to gain some leverage but the van suddenly burst forward and he noticed Jaime was nowhere to be seen. Jaime had already gotten the wheel free and Pietro had step on the gas without realizing what was occurring.

Movement on his left surprised him as he spotted a lone man that Jaime and Pietro hadn’t knocked out crawling out from one of the bushes his gun trained on the van.

“Get down!” Logan yelled back towards the van.

But his warning was useless because the man trained the gun on him and start shooting. The first bullet ripped through Logan’s shoulder and he hissed in reaction but kept his grip on the coffin. The second hit him in the thigh and caused his grip to slip slightly.

“Fuck,” he snarled as he kept his focus on dragging the coffin back up.

There was a yell from the bushes and he briefly looked back towards his left as the man was suddenly lifted into the air by an invisible hand and slammed into a nearby tree. A determined Wanda appeared on his right and several little orbs of yellow light formed in her hand as she proceeded to stretch out her palm and the orbs of light danced towards the coffin as they circled around it. He felt the coffin become lighter in his grip.

“It’s alright now,” Wanda whispered surprisingly soft. “I’ve got it.”

He looked at her in uncertainty but he felt the coffin completely level out in his grip. He didn’t relax and let go until the orbs of light Wanda was controlling pulled the coffin completely back over the railing. Letting go he watched in amazement as the coffin slid back into the van. Wanda raised her hand once more and the orbs of light disappeared and miraculously the door was repaired as well.

Wanda watched him silently for a moment, her dark eyes for once not condescending but open as she seemed to gaze at him in a new light. She turned and headed towards the front of the van.

Shuffling his feet he moved around the van and noticed that the SUV the unknown woman had been in was gone.
Logan let out a deep breath and rubbed his hand across his face, astounded to find he was shaking a little bit. Taking a few more deep breaths he rubbed the back of his neck and glanced back over the railing once more. It was hell of a drop.

Even in death nothing had changed. He was prepared to follow Rogue no matter the consequences it seemed. Always leaping before thinking. It was damn instinct.
‘There’s no rest in peace’ by noVa451
“She looks more upbeat than the rest of us,” Jaime remarked as he slowly pulled the lid of the coffin back down.

Silently, Logan kept his eyes on Rogue’s body until it was fully obscured by the lid.

They once again found themselves in the back of some warehouse Pietro had broken into for them. It wasn’t convenient for them to stop off at a motel when they’d have to leave the coffin unattended. The front part of the warehouse was some kind of store. They were keeping the coffin in the storage room while they all convened in the supposed break room. There was a beaten up couch and a few chairs spread out.

Jaime walked over towards the dingy looking fridge and opened it. “Nothing good at all,” he sighed.

Wanda was sitting in one of the chairs, unusually quiet.

A green and black blur suddenly zoomed through the room and Pietro landed in a chair beside his sister.

“Just checked the perimeter and no one is around. Pretty quiet for now.”

“No black SUV’s or white unmarked vans?” Jaime voiced as he landed on the couch beside Logan.

“No,” Pietro answered bluntly.

“So who were those guys?” Jaime proceeded to ask.

“Wanda was right,” Logan started and ignored the raised eyebrows he got in response. “They weren’t working for Magneto. They were trained soldiers and the woman wasn’t keen on giving away her boss’ name and Magneto has never shied away from throwing his name around.”

Pietro seemed to mull what he said over and accepted it with a nod.

“None of you recognized that woman?” Logan questioned.

All three of them shook their heads no.

Logan sighed as he leaned forward. “I think maybe they were government.”

Wanda’s eyes widened at that. “Why? If they had been the police or what have you they would have arrested us.”

“And here I was thinking you were the most cynical bitch I knew,” Logan replied back. “I can tell you haven’t had a lot of involvement with the government.”

“Been too busy staying ahead of my father,” she issued back.

Logan smirked and nodded his head in acceptance. “They might be a separate organization, controlled by someone with the status and money to be operating a private section within the government.”

“But why would they want Rogue?” Jaime asked in confusion.

Logan stood up as he started to pace. “You have no idea, even the tiniest clue as to what she was involved in before she died? She didn’t leave anything?”

“No,” Pietro answered as both Jaime and Wanda consented.

“Don’t you think we looked?”

Logan waved him off as he moved back and forth behind the couch.

“They only wanted to burn her body and with the man power they had, they probably know of Dead Girl and her powers or perhaps as the woman said her boss is especially neurotic when it comes to his secrets.”

“Okay,” Jaime started as he stood up. “Let me get this straight. Now we have two female mutants after us and it’s not as though Dead Girl herself wasn’t enough but now we have one who has no doubt the supply of a small army behind her to use. So now we have a little under 34 hours left until we’re out of the clear with Dead Girl. So suppose we make it through that without incident will just stash Rogue’s body and pretend we already cremated her ourselves and that will get those crazy ass Rambo wannabes off our asses.”

“It’s possible,” Pietro replied. “But something makes me think after the way we just finished off those ‘Rambo wannabes’ they won’t be so keen on asking questions first, more like shooting first and no questions later.”

“Whatever Rogue knew, they want it to be protected by any means,” Wanda voiced distractedly.

A quiet reverie settled over them as they each wondered how deep they were in and about the mystery that had been the woman they had all known as Rogue.

“Listen, we’ll each take shifts and try and get a few hours of sleep and we’ll be back on the road,” Pietro instructed.

Jaime in response was already stretched out on the couch with his eyes closed.

“I’ll take the first shift,” Logan volunteered.

Pietro nodded.

“Where we headed anyways?” he asked.

A small smirk quirked at Pietro’s lips. “We’re just a few towns over from that dive we found you in.”

“We’ve been driving in a circle,” Logan responded sceptically.

“There was no designated route to take, it wasn’t going to be safe any way but at least going in a circle would be one of the least likely choices. It took Magneto this long enough to even catch up to us.”

“And what happens after this is done? Won’t Magneto still be after you and your sister?”

A lazy smirk made its way on to Pietro’s lean face.

“You’ve seen only a glimpse at what my sister and I are capable of. Magneto knows to be wary of us, why do you think he hasn’t come for us himself?”

“He’s a coward,” Logan supplied with little effort.

“He’s becoming an old man,” Pietro remarked. “Even he has to pick and choose his battles now. His ego may be inflated but he’s smart enough to realize he can’t achieve all his glory by always spreading his time thin. My sister and I will just always be a constant back thought in his head until he see’s us serving more of a purpose.”

“Before careful what that purpose is,” Logan spoke with sudden discretion. His thoughts were on Magneto’s machine and the purpose the Master of Magnetism had personally seen Rogue was fit to serve.
‘Like a trapdoor the past keeps opening under me’ by noVa451
Author's Notes:
Okay, so this chapter is kind of heavy on the angst, Logan has some stuff to get off his chest but I promise it's not the end of the world.
“Shouldn’t you be sleeping,” Logan muttered without turning his back. His melancholy eyes were on the dark deserted parking lot in front of him. Without much movement he reached for the lit cigar in his mouth and flicked the ashes off it before wrapping his lips back around it.

“I had something on my mind,” Wanda whispered as she came to stand a few feet beside him.

Barely, moving his head Logan looked at her out of the corner of his eyes as he looked down at her.

“Thought of some fresh insults,” Logan muttered around the cigar. “I’m impressed.”

Wanda was quiet for a moment and Logan knew she was watching him but he didn’t care.

“I forgot to mention something back there,” Wanda spoke up. “Something that I think might be important...well maybe for you.”

Slowly, taking the cigar back out of his mouth Logan turned to look at her with a scowl.

“You lied about something?”

“Not really, I just neglected to tell you something at the time,” she remarked. “Didn’t think it would be appropriate in front of the others.”

“Even your brother?”

She laughed a little but it was empty. “Especially my brother.”

Logan’s head ticked to the side as his interest grew.

“What is it then?”

In move he wasn’t use to from her; she suddenly wouldn’t meet his eyes and cast them down towards the ground before gazing out at the parking lot.

“Rogue didn’t hold on to a lot of things,” she began softly. “And we were always moving from town to town but when I learned of her death, we searched her stuff.”
She stumbled slightly as she took a deep breath. “I was the first one to go through her things and well...” she fumbled for something inside her jacket pocket and pulled out a small crumpled envelope. “I found this.”

She held it out waiting for him to take it. She sighed and pushed it closer to him when he didn’t budge.

“Well go on,” she emphasized by shoving it at him again.

“It’s for you or at least I think it is.”

Tentatively, he reached out for the envelope and found his named scrawled across the front of it in Rogue’s familiar handwriting.

“Can’t tell you if its good or bad.”

He eyed her as he found himself holding the envelope tightly in his hand. “You didn’t read it?” he questioned in surprise.

“No. I knew for her to have written you something after all this time it must be personal and well, even if it did have any useful information, Rogue was a smart girl not to leave information like that lying around. Plus, I knew we’d be meeting you...”

“Why didn’t you give it me sooner?” he interrupted her with a glare.

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I wasn’t sure if you’d even accept it.”

Logan continued to glare at her even as his focus was drawn back to the envelope.

“What changed?” he wondered.

When she didn’t immediately answer he looked back up at her and was unnerved by the sudden scrutiny her gaze held.

“Can I ask you something?”

“You didn’t answer my question,” he directed back but she ignored him.

“Why did you risk so much just save her dead body on the bridge today?”

His eye twitched as he turned his face towards the shadows.

“I didn’t risk anything,” he muttered darkly.

“You had bullets ripping through your body and I don’t care if you heal that must have still hurt. You almost went over that bridge with her.”

His dark gaze snapped at her but he was surprised to find her expression was truly genuine and open for once. The usual snappiness to her tone was gone.

“Tell me what went wrong with you two,” she whispered softly.

“No,” he hissed, his hand gripped the envelope tighter.

“Look, Wolver...Logan,” she started. “I know there’s no reason for you to tell and frankly I know you don’t want to feel like you need to prove anything to me but after today I...I just honestly want to know how it is that this is where you and Rogue ended up. You diving after her coffin after three years of no contact...after...”

“So you’re curious,” he hissed.

“Yes,” she answered honestly. “We both know I’ve judged you heavily and well I ain’t apologizing for the way I am but I’m at least willing to listen.”

Suddenly, reflective Logan slowly put his cigar out. “She never told you?” he questioned with a whisper.

“No.”

Logan appeared a bit surprised as he raised his head.

“In the past few days you’ve made it sound like Rogue was out there glorifying the way she supposedly ruined you like some conquest of hers.”

He snorted. “Well, wasn’t she?” he yelled slightly with a sense of despair and uncertainty.

Wanda stepped closer. “Not at all. In fact she never mentioned it.”

Doubt seeped into his tormented eyes as he focused on her. “But you knew details and...”

“I knew you had been together and I know a few things but it wasn’t because Rogue opened up about it. It wasn’t until we’d hooked up with a few other mutants down in New Orleans that any information came to light. Seemed a few of them recognized her and knew about her being an X-Men and being with you.”

Logan grunted.

“What do you think her response was?”

“To break open the champagne and celebrate.”

“Why do you think she got so much joy out of your pain?” Wanda yelled suddenly with a sense of desperation.

“Just minutes ago you asked me to tell you everything,” he snapped with a growl. “So don’t question me about things you don’t truly know about.”

Wanda was unaffected as she spoke more determinedly. “Rogue...well ever since I met Rogue she was all about having a good time and when...and when your name came up...I saw a different Rogue. She couldn’t hide it when a slip of sadness fell into her eyes and her smile faltered and then right there in that moment I knew a lot of it was a facade. Rogue wasn’t about having a good time. She was about trying to forget.”

Wanda paused as she watched him but his body seemed to disappear more into the shadows.

“Problem was,” she continued. “She could never seem to out run you and her past.”

Sighing, she smiled a little recalling a past memory.

“She dismissed the mutant’s interest easily and the mask slipped back on her face but there was one time, one time when I can’t explain it but I noticed a sudden stillness to her. She’d been sitting alone in the club we were in, oblivious to the party going around and it was as though she couldn’t pretend anymore. She confessed your past relationship to me in part.”

Logan was still quiet and it aggravated her. “Don’t you get it, Logan,” she yelled. “A good amount of time had passed and she still thought about you. She loved you...”

“SHUT UP!” Logan snapped viciously as he reached for her and pulled her closer.

“If she’d loved me she wouldn’t have...” he stumbled and Wanda could feel his hands trembling. His eyes were wild and glistened.

He let her go and turned his face away abruptly.

“She wouldn’t have what...?” Wanda pressed.

“Where did you met her?” he responded suddenly, his voice much thicker.

Taken back Wanda decided to answer him anyways. “A mutant club in Vegas.”

Logan scoffed as half his face was once again hidden in the shadows but she still caught his smirk.

“I’d heard she was on the fast track,” he muttered. “Living the mutant life like it was Rock n’ Roll. – I mean she had control of her skin...”

“Is that why things...?”

“But how did you two exactly meet?”

Wanda was annoyed that he kept responding with questions of his own but she took it in stride as he was at least talking back.

“She recognized me and Pietro.”

“Recognized?”

“She knew we were Magneto’s children. It was a bit disconcerting.”

Logan nodded. “She has his memories.”

“Yeah, I figured that out eventually.”

“And just like that you were friends?”

“Yeah,” she shrugged. “Rogue was a fun person and I mean we obviously enjoyed bitching about Magneto. She gave me a lot of insight into my father.”

“And I can see it’s made you much calmer towards him,” he remarked.

Wanda smiled. “Rogue didn’t sugar coat anything about him but she also didn’t hide anything, for talking about a man who almost killed her she was surprisingly neutral.”

“She knew a lot more about him then any of us really did, perhaps even things the Professor didn’t even know,” Logan muttered sadly.

Wanda nodded solemnly. “Besides how long was it after you had just met Rogue before you realized you wanted to be a part of her world.”

Logan was quiet and Wanda smiled more.

He no longer had any more questions for her it appeared and she was beginning to wonder if their conversation was over.

“I’m not really sure how to explain it,” he started softly. “I don’t fully understand it myself.”
Sighing, he continued. “We’d been together for almost two years as a couple and I actually thought everything was perfect. But I started to notice things...” he paused.
“Rogue and I we were always good at communicating on a lot of things but when it came to our relationship we weren’t very good at all. I mean it took us a while to finally get together and accept our feelings and I will admit that was more on my part. Still having such a serious deep bonding relationship was new to both of us, but we were happy and I was happy for the first time I could remember.”

“Of course we were both X-Men so that tended to interfere at times.”

“Interfere...?” Wanda started but was cut off.

“At Xavier’s everyone’s entitled a fresh start,” he began again as his eyes become a bit unfocused. “The Professor and the X-Men were all about helping people...” he hesitated and when he spoke again his voice was harder. “So of course when that little traitorous piece of shit-fire Pyro showed up at our door begging for forgiveness for running off and joining Magneto we were all suppose to welcome him back with understanding.”
His body began to tense. “We must show him the way, Logan’ the Professor would spout off at me. ‘Show him that he is accepted here again’. So of course part of the Prof’s plan was to get those who knew Pyro the most before he left to help get him back into things. The previous junior X-Men.”

“Rogue,” Wanda supplied and he nodded.

“I knew they had been friends before he had defected and I knew she had been saddened by it and saw it as a sense of betrayal but she never spoke of him much. I didn’t really bother to evaluate her relationship with both him and the Drake boy. When I had been with the three of them when we were on the run from Stryker I can’t lie and say I didn’t see the tension between the three of them, or more to the point that Bobby was pretty oblivious to the fact that his best friend had the hots for his girlfriend and Ma...and Rogue she knew it, or at least I know she had an idea of his feelings.”

“But it never came up again. She’d dumped Bobby a few months after the whole Stryker thing and few months after that I finally accepted my feelings for her and we got together and it was that simple. One day we weren’t and the next day we were lovers.”

He grew quiet again and she could see him closing up.

“So what happened then, when Pyro came back?”

“He was a downright arrogant prick,” Logan spat. “And of course in the beginning Rogue spent time with him under the Professor’s request but then her time with him started to grow and when I questioned her on it, well....all I got was...’He’s still adjusting, Logan and he needs people he’s comfortable with’ ‘Don’t you understand what it is to feel you’ve lost your way, I’m just giving him what he needs.’” He laughed suddenly but the sound caused Wanda to ache in concern.

“Apparently what Pyro needed was to be fucking my girlfriend,” he hissed and the cigar snapped unnoticed in his hand.

“And she...she,” he gasped and turned away. “She went on like nothing had changed. I knew and for some stupid reason I didn’t say anything at first, I wanted to believe I had made a mistake, I was suddenly so disillusioned. I’d made myself vulnerable to her. Then...” he paused to laugh again, the sound heartbreakingly hollow.

“Well you see around that time, we got a new recruit as well,” he continued. “His name was Gambit and he was tolerable compared to Pyro but he liked to hit on Rogue as much as possible. Rogue never took him seriously and would always tell me to relax but apparently she did enjoy the attention, she enjoyed it so much she figured she’d reciprocate it right back, to the fullest extent possible.”

“After Remy she just didn’t bother hiding it anymore and well I couldn’t pretend it didn’t happen, I couldn’t pretend I had somehow made a mistake and when...and when I confronted her...she didn’t even try to deny it...didn’t even give me a reason...she just sat there and.....and...she couldn’t have been more apathetic.”

“You don’t know that for sure,” Wanda interjected.

His eyes were suddenly on her with such rage she took a step back. “You weren’t there,” he hissed and clenched his fists. “I no longer recognized the person I’d fallen in love with.”

Wanda remained quiet as suddenly the rage disappeared and his body sunk with despair. “She made a fool out of me and still she was the one who left first. She took off as soon as she could, no mind to the fact that the X-men as a team were suddenly extremely dysfunctional. It was a concern having me in the same house as the two men she’d slept with and they didn’t seem to care but it didn’t matter I couldn’t stay there, I couldn’t accept it.....so I left and never looked back.”

Wanda remained pensive for a moment before speaking again. “What about Jean Grey?”

Logan’s head whipped around so fast she gasped in surprise. “What about her?” he snapped angrily.

“Didn’t she come back from the dead sometime during that period,” she spoke knowingly.

“Yes,” he hissed through his clenched teeth. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“You loved her didn’t you?”

“No,” he grated through his clenched jaw.

“But...”

“No!”

“Did you sleep with her?”

His sudden pause gave her concern.

“No,” he answered more quietly.

“But it was a complication,” she persisted.

Glaring at her he sighed heavily. “Yes.”

Two streets across from them they both spotted the sudden headlights of oncoming car and tensed up. Silently, the two of them watched warily as the car turned away from their direction and disappeared.

The silence that surrounded was heavy as the night sky that blanketed around them.

Tilting her head Wanda eyed the stoic mutant before her and knew he was as weighed down as the humid air around them. His shoulders sagged forward even as he stared out at the night sky. He was a broken man and somehow, she couldn’t fault him for it but that didn’t mean she accepted the way he had become. He’d been legendry when he’d been with the X-Men and now he was but a ghost of the person, he had been holding onto a ghost of a woman who wouldn’t let him be.

Turning to head back inside she cast him one more glanced. “I can’t give you any answers and maybe you’ll never get them but perhaps...,” she paused and nodded towards the envelope. “That will give you something.”

She smirked a little, a part of her usual snippiness finding its way back into her demeanour. “That is if you accept it.”

He didn’t acknowledge her but she spoke anyways even as she drifted through the door. “Goodnight, Logan.”

It wasn’t until he heard the door click shut did Logan gaze down at the simple white envelope in his hand. It was light in his hands but suddenly it weighed heavily in his heart.
‘The Scarlett letter’ by noVa451
Tentatively, Logan slipped his shaking fingers towards the flap of the envelope and lifted it back. With a deep sigh he leant back against the wall slowly and cracked his neck. Reaching in, he pulled a small piece of paper out of the envelope.

He was already frowning as he brought it up to his face. It was too damn small for his liking. Only one piece of paper and he could tell there were only a handful of sentences written on it. This piece of scrap was supposed to be his salvation, he thought with bitter irony.

Narrowing his eyes he glanced once more at the door Wanda had left through and was glad to see it was still shut. Unusually, delicate he raised the paper up under his nose and breathed it in. It contained the familiar scent of Rogue, albeit, a very stale scent but nonetheless he revelled in it. He’d been unable to deny the effect her scent had on him and despite the circumstances, he relaxed a little as his shoulders straightened up.

The writing and tone was brisk and impersonal. The paper crinkled in his hand as his fingers clenched around it as he read with rapid hunger.


L,

I know that perhaps I am just writing this letter for myself and maybe you won’t even factor into it but it is my intent for you to have something – something to grasp from all this. I don’t know what’s going to happen and I know I don’t deserve your concern but it isn’t for me – all this – I can’t stress that enough. I know you’re no longer with the X-Men and I don’t know what you are doing right now and I don’t assume that I am a part of your wanted life anymore, but I know you – did know you- and there are some things that don’t change and ...



The writing started to drift off and Logan was concerned with how incoherent the letter was, it was a jumbled mess of contradicting thoughts that hadn’t been fully executed. It made him wonder what kind of condition she’d been in when she’d written it.



All those years ago when you would leave and give me your tags for safe keeping, you knew that they’d be safe. You had faith that the mansion would keep me safe, that the X-Men would too. I resented you for some of that but perhaps – you were right. Such a small thing to get lost within its walls. Sometimes, Logan, the mansion – home – was the safest place and I never realized that for a long time. I’d always thought it had been you that kept me safe but sometimes even you can’t keep secrets safe.

I’m sorry, Logan. Sorry for everything.
Marie


The paper crinkled in his hand as he clenched his jaw and took a deep breath, his nostrils flared in and out in swift concentration. The letter was too brief and only further confused him. Catching himself, he unclenched his fist and smoothed the paper out with a sudden fever, his eyes catching the end again. She was sorry, she’d written. She’d taken the time to write him that but it still didn’t give him any answers as to why she’d done what she did.

He didn’t want to pretend he wasn’t oblivious to any possible ideas. He knew that certain issues with Jean had been a problem. The thing he’d never understood was that there was never a moment where he felt that they had fallen out of love, she’d still loved him and he wasn’t sure if that helped or only made things worse.

The letter was worthless; it was just a dead woman’s babblings. A sudden urge to rip the letter up took over him but he held it back as he pocketed it.

Turning sharply on his heels he made his way towards the door and opened it with noticeable force. It slammed behind him but he didn’t care as his quick steps took him through the building and past a sleeping Jaime and Wanda. Pietro stirred in one of the chairs and gazed at Logan’s back.

“My shift yet?” he mumbled.

“Yeah,” Logan grunted without turning around and made his way through towards the storage area where he closed the door.

Breathing through his nose deeply he pulled the letter back out and stormed towards the coffin, his hands flipping the lid up with a bang as he stared at Rogue’s body.

“What is this, huh?” he snapped as his eyes were bordering on frantic.

“You write me a letter, a letter of nonsense, Rogue!” he directed towards her body as he started to pace.

“Where’s my god damn answers?” he snapped as leaned over her body.

“I deserve...I deserve...” he paused as his chest heaved, his eyes blinking as he focused on her face. Her serene peaceful face that had no idea what he was doing. His hands fell on top of the ledge of the coffin as his knees sank and his forehead leant against the cool wood. His fingers gripped the inside of the coffin in desperation, the letter still in his hand.

“I didn’t want this,” he whispered hoarsely. “This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.”

Slowly, he banged his head against the wood. “I want to hate you,” he whispered. “So badly...I want to regret picking you up in that truck – but I can’t.”

“Why?” his voice cracked. Tears started to flow down his cheeks but he paid no attention as he finally allowed himself to mourn, mourn the way the man in him wanted to.
Warily, he raised his head as he reached a hand through her silky hair. “Marie,” he gasped.

“My Marie.”
‘Hear the Siren’s call but beware the water calm’ by noVa451
“Looooooooogan,” the voice cooed in his ear.

“Looooooooooooooogan.”

“Logan, get up!”

His eyes snapped openly immediately when he recognized the voice. He was lying flat on his back and he sat up in a flash as his eyes sought out the direction of the voice.

“Marie...,” he gasped as he spotted her sitting on the ledge of the railing, her feet dangling over the edge, dancing in the breeze.

“That’s it sugah,” she smiled sweetly at him. “Time to get up.”

Staggering to his feet he stumbled towards her as his words caught in his throat. “But...you’re dead.”

“Why would you say such a thing,” she remarked as she still smiled brightly at him. “You shouldn’t look so serious Logan; you’ll start to get wrinkles.” She giggled as though she’d said the funniest thing ever and looked away from him again.

He was speechless as he watched her long hair with the white streaks blow in the wind. The white stood out in the darkness of the night like a beacon.

Walking towards her more steadily, he came upon the ledge and gazed down with wide eyes.

“What do you think of the view?” she asked sweetly.

Turning around in shock he recognized the crown of the statue of Liberty and looked back out past the ledge were the rest of New York lay.

“Marie, get off the edge,” he instructed with more than a hint of concern.

She sighed and swung her feet back over and stood up on the solid balcony.

“Happy now?” she remarked with some sass, as she looked at him like he was being the biggest drag with a hint of amusement.

Her deep brown eyes sparkled at him in the night and he found himself drawn in by the never ending depth of her orbs.

His concentration was broken by the twitching of her plump red lips as her warm smile grew wider. Lowering his gaze, his eyes roamed over her sleek bare neck and widen a little as he fully realized she was dressed in her old X-Men uniform.

Her hands slid down to her hips and she anchored her stance towards him.

“Why so quiet, sugah?” she drawled quietly.

His head felt heavy suddenly and he turned away from her, a frown already on his face.

“You’re not real,” he whispered achingly. “Just a dream,” he muttered as his hands gripped the railing tightly.

She was quiet and he closed his eyes, willing himself to wake up.

“Always having to be so stubborn,” she murmured and suddenly he could feel her right beside him. “You just had to let reality seep in.”

Glancing up slowly, he met her gaze and he stepped back at the swift change. Her uniform was suddenly different – drastically so. It was torn and riddled with holes all around her mid drift where dry blood was caked to her pale skin.

Wearily, his eyes moved back up as they shifted to her startlingly open face. She frowned at him and reached a hand down to caress her stomach. “It looks a whole lot worse than it actually is,” she quipped, but there was an underlying sadness to her words.

“Marie,” he gasped and stepped forward with a hand already reaching for her.

“You can’t heal me here, Logan.”

Instinctively, his body reached out to hers, as his hand drifted down to her waist and pulled her closer. It was such a relief to feel her warm body against his, to be able to surround himself in her scent. He wanted to close his eyes when he felt her soft touch on his skin as her finger tips danced along his jaw, but he was afraid she would disappear.

“Logan,” she whispered with affection and something deeper that made his skin jump to life as the heat danced along him.

He watched her tentatively, as the warm smile found its way on her face again, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“Mar...”

But he was cut off as she suddenly leaned in and captured his lips in a fierce kiss. Heat that had been burning before between them abruptly exploded as her soft warm lips melded against his. He held her close as he revelled in the feel of her. The kiss become a little bit softer and slower but he didn’t mind as he refused to part. The sound of her moaning caused his body to sing with excitement.

His blissful moment of ecstasy was interrupted when he felt something wet soak through his shirt. Rogue pulled back a little and her face held a sudden look of regret and shame, that was covered up with a mask of hardness as she quietly leant back.

“What?”

“I’m not the only one that bleeds, Logan,” she whispered seriously.

He opened his mouth in confusion but was cut off when she raised her hand.

In it she held his still beating heart. Gasping, he looked down in shock as his t-shirt was soaked in his blood.

“I took this from you,” she spoke again. Her demeanour was rapidly changing right before him as she shrugged and tossed his heart over the side of the ledge. “Threw it away,” she remarked simply.

He was breathing deeply as he was caught by his confusion and sudden apprehension and the rising sound of his radically beating heart.

“Nothing’s safe, is it Logan?” she stressed as she swung her hips back and forth.

“I don’t understand.”

“Sure, you do,” she whispered suddenly as she appeared beside him. “I betrayed you.”

Sensually, her hand skirted across his collar bone. “Tell me how to give it back to you?” she asked, her mood changed again, as she rested her head on his shoulder.

“I.... – Stop this, Marie,” he grated.

She was suddenly on the other side of him.

“I’m not the one that can.”

Agitated, a small growl vibrated in his chest.

Grabbing his hand she rubbed it over her wounded stomach even as he tried to pull back.

“You couldn’t keep me safe, Logan.”

“You were...”

“Even you can’t keep some secrets safe.”

“What?” he asked suddenly more clear, as the phrase ticked at him.

“You don’t have that ability to get lost within the walls,” she continued on as though he hadn’t spoken, her attention turning a little distracted.

“Marie, what are you saying?”

He blinked and quickly she was standing right in front of him again. His beating heart once again in her hand.
She looked him dead in the eye all of a sudden.

“Home is where the heart is, sugah.”

And with those words she caught him off guard as she pushed his heart back towards him and her hands came in contact with his hard chest. The momentum however, surprised him and he found himself falling over the ledge impossibly, but it was too late, he was already falling, falling and falling, as Rogue became a dot in the distance.

“Marie!” he screamed.



Abruptly, Logan jerked awake with a gasp. His body jerking as his eyes blinked harshly twice, his eyes adjusting to the light of the break room. Instead of staring up at the Statue of Liberty he was faced with just the ceiling of chipped paint.

Shaking, he sat up and rubbed his hands across his face, disturbed to find his hair was soaked with sweat. Feeling a little disoriented but determined he stood up and made his way out the door and passed a sleeping Wanda and Pietro.

The fresh crisp air of night refreshed him as he stepped outside.

“No need to be a Samaritan Logan, it ain’t your shift next,” Jaime called from out of the shadows down at the other end of the building.

Ignoring him Logan spotted the pay phone across the street and made his way towards it, his eyes darting around the dark street with his nerves still shot.
Ramming the door of the pay phone open, he yanked the phone off the hook and deposited his money, as his fingers dialled.

Four rings in and he started to swear. Lacking any patience he slammed his hand against the glass and yelled, “Pick up!”

Three more rings and he was prepared to slam his claws through the booth.

“Hello?” a sleepy voice answered.

Logan sighed and leant against the phone box.

“Hey, Red,” he replied, his voice rough.

There was a pause on the other end. “Logan?”

“Yeah, it’s me Jeannie.”

There was another pause and he heard the phone shifting.

“Logan, this isn’t a good idea, Scott will...”

“I don’t give a shit right now what he thinks or even what you think right now. Nice, Red. It’s been almost three years and that’s the first thing you have to say. Well I feel sorry for you, that you’re still that insecure about your relationship with the Boy Scout,” he spat.

“Logan, that isn’t fair.” She sighed on the other end. “What am I too think when you call me at almost four in the morning after three years?”

Grumbling to himself, Logan shifted the phone in his grip. “Well I didn’t exactly call you, I forgot that after hours the main number for the mansion goes to the machine and if I wanted to talk to anyone I’d have to enter an extension. But don’t let yourself get all flustered, yours was the easiest to remember, 2...3...4,” he finished with a smirk on his face.

“Let’s start over then,” she sighed. “Are you in trouble, you okay Logan?”

He was quiet suddenly, he’s mind flashing through the past couple of days.

“Logan?”

“I’m just me,” he muttered darkly.

“Logan, that’s not...”

“How ‘bout you? The X-geeks doin’ okay?”

“Yes,” she answered. “But that’s not why you called is it?”

“Telepathic powers over the phone, eh, Jeannie, I’m impressed.”

“I don’t need my powers to take a guess, Logan. It’s in your voice. Something’s wrong.”

Closing his eyes Logan realized he wasn’t prepared for the conversation that would follow if he told her or any of the X-Men what had happened recently.

“Look,” he grated into the phone, trying to gain back some ground. “ I ain’t calling to swap gossip with yah.”

“Then why are you calling?”

Sighing, he cleared his throat and tried to be as direct as possible. His eyes were up and scanning the neighbourhood around him.

“Has anything significant happened at the mansion?”

“What do you mean; you just said you didn’t want to hear....”

“I mean X-Men business,” he interrupted. “Have you guys heard of anything suspicious lately? Anything government and mutant related?”

“No, it’s been quiet. We haven’t heard anything serious if that’s what you’re getting at.”

“What about Magneto?”

“He’s been laying low.”

Logan nodded absently even though he knew she couldn’t see it.

“Logan, with all these questions I can’t help but wonder...”

“Nothing, to wonder Jeannie.”

“You can’t seriously believe I’m just going to let this go without a second thought.”

“Yes, I was never yours to be concerned about anyways.”

His words hadn’t been bitter in fact they we’re very possessive and protective.

“I know that, Logan,” she responded carefully, sensing his tone. “But I’m your friend.”

He snorted.

“Would you like to speak with the Professor?”

“So everything really is okay at ho....the mansion?” he asked by-passing her again.

“Yes,” she answered again but he could tell from her tone she was becoming more concerned as their conversation carried on.

Sighing, he realized it been a mistake to call. He’d been perplexed by his dream or nightmare and he hadn’t taken the time to think his actions through.

“Thanks, Jeannie....Look out for yourselves,” he muttered as a way of goodbye.

“Logan,” she yelled into the phone.

“Look, Jeannie, I’m sorry for calling and...”

“Logan, there are still people here who would like to still hear from you once and a while.”

“Pyro still there?” he snapped angrily.

“No,” Jean answered carefully.

“Why?” he asked, hating himself for appearing interested.

“Things didn’t quite work out.”

“What do you mean? I thought he was the prodigal son.”

“The Professor tried, we all tried, but John....he proved to be too much like his mutation,” she replied almost cryptically. “We weren’t what he needed.”

“So he went back to the Brotherhood?”

“No, he’s still on our side of the fight I suppose but he found a group of people to align himself with that are a little more grey then we are. They call themselves Hellfire.”

“Un huh,” Logan muttered annoyed he’d let himself show his vulnerability by continuing the conversation.

“You could come home, Logan,” she spoke softly.

He didn’t answer.

“It can’t all be bad memories.”

“It ain’t that,” he mumbled and sighed, knowing he had no one else to blame for getting himself caught in this. “That place...” he started and eyed the building across from him that housed his assigned cargo. “Won’t ever have what I want ever again.”

“Have....” she stumbled. “Have you heard from her, anything? Do you know if she’s alright?”

The phone strained in his grip.

“Goodbye, Jeannie.”

“Wait!” she yelled again and he paused.

“What?”

“So never then, Logan?”

“Never,” he replied back.

“Well, I guess it’s fair to tell you that even if you don’t plan on coming back, you have a package waiting here for you,” she spoke sadly.

Standing up straight, he found himself suddenly focused.

“Did you say a package?”

“Yes,” she answered slowly, no doubt sensing his sudden interest.

“Who’s it from?”

“It doesn’t say.”

“When did it arrive?”

“Around two months ago.”

“Two months...” he mumbled to himself, recalling Wanda’s account of Rogue’s behaviour.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked raising his voice and then shaking his head. “Forget it; I know that was stupid, I told you all not to contact me.”

“Logan, what is it?”

“Did you open it?” he snapped.

“No,” she answered. “Jubilee and well some of us, hoped and figured you’d come back sometime soon.”

“Listen,” he began. “I need you to do me a favour.”

“Logan, you’re who knows where and...”

“Jean, if I’m asking you a favour, you need to know it’s important and I just need you to do something for me.”

“Alright,” she replied slowly, catching the seriousness of his tone.

“I need that package right away.”

He was waiting for another question or concern from her but she complied.

“Okay, how soon?”

“As soon as you can. As fast as the X-Jet can get you to where I am.”

“Are you in the country?”

“Come on, Red, we both know you’ve already narrowed down the city I’m in. You can pretend all you want that when you came back you were the same but we both know that ain’t true. Jeannie, no questions right now, okay. I will tell you eventually. But I just need you to come or even if you need Scotty Boy but no questions. And you drop the package off at the post office and you leave, you don’t stick around and you don’t wait for me.”

Jean was quiet again and his patience was starting to wane.

“I don’t like it but alright on one condition.”

“What?”

“If you do get into shit even you can’t handle Logan,” she directed more sternly. “You fucking call the X-Men.”

He was taken aback by her sudden directness but found he was smiling a little. “Yeah, I will, Red.”

“Good.”

“That is if I think you pansies can handle it.”

“Logan...” she began exasperated.

“I know,” he answered more seriously. “And no they ain’t all bad memories.”

“You’re not the only one we miss, you know that?” she spoke more carefully.

Leaning his head against the glass he tried to control himself knowing he couldn’t let her know yet what had happened to Rogue.

“How soon can I expect the package to be here?”

“By early morning.”

“Good, Thanks,” he muttered and hung the phone up.

Cracking his neck he slowly opened the booth doors and made his way back towards the building.



“Saw something on the late night shopping channel and had to have it right away?” Jaime asked with a smirk beside the door but his eyes held an interest.

“You could say that,” Logan mumbled and made his way past him without any more concern.

In just a couple of days he’d had his whole world flipped upside down and now he’d just made official contact with his old life as an X-Men and Jean’s hope and the knowledge that the others one day hoped both he and Rogue would make their way back, only caused him more pain. The fact that there could have been a chance to start over. His eyes swept past the door to the storage room. That chance was gone.
‘I go to pick up my tab but I still always seem in debt’ by noVa451
“You have a package for a Logan?” Logan muttered to the sleepy eyed clerk behind the post office desk.

Stifling a yawn, the man regarded him unenthusiastically.

“Just Logan?” he remarked with an air of sarcasm.

“Yeah,” Logan grunted and glanced out the window as people started to make their way through the street as the day started.

Shrugging his shoulders the clerk scratched the back of his head and turned towards the back. When he paused to pour himself a cup of coffee Logan barely resisted the urge to bark at him to hurry up. The sound of the coffee pot clicking back into its spot was a sudden relief to Logan as the clerk finally disappeared to the back.

“Well, ‘just Logan’,” the clerk spoke up as he came out. “Seems there was a package for you.”

Logan eyed the large package wrapped in brown paper with curiosity. The package sure was bigger than just a small white envelope.

“Just sign here,” the man mumbled into his coffee mug as he passed him a slip of paper.

Leaning down Logan scribbled his signature and grabbed the package.

The clerk glanced at the paper and snorted as he read what Logan had scribbled. “Just Logan.”

Smirking to himself Logan pushed the door open.

“Smartass,” he heard just as the door closed behind him.

Making his way through the streets, Logan knew he didn’t have a lot of time to spare before any of the others realized he had stepped outside for more than just a smoke.

Spotting their present hide out through the parking lot, Logan hurried his steps as he reached the door. Glancing around for anybody he paused when a sudden scent infiltrated his senses.

Tensing he had his eyes on the corner of the building as Jaime came strutting around it and leant against the wall.

“Seems you went for more than just a smoke,” the other mutant stated with an equally amused but suspecting gaze.

Feeling the package shift inside his jacket he’d hidden it in, Logan turned to fully regard the mutant.

“Thought I saw a familiar car lurking around across the parking lot,” he replied. “You checking up on me?”

Jaime shrugged and pushed off against the wall. “You forget I can be in more than one place at a time.”

Logan smirked precariously. “Like I said, you checking up on me?”

Jaime continued to watch him but smiled suddenly. “What’s there to check up on?” he replied calmly. “You were just checking the perimeter.”

“Although,” he started with a pause. “That late night phone call is a bit of an interest.”

“It was nothing,” Logan grunted.

“You don’t strike me as the type of guy who has many people he’d bother calling at that time of night.”

“Do I strike you as the type of guy who likes to be interrogated by some punk,” he grated back.

Jaime eyed him for a second before holding his hands up.

“No need to turn amongst ourselves,” he replied and smirked. “I ain’t looking for trouble. Lighten up man.”

“Yeah, well seems to me everything’s one big fucking joke to you,” he snapped and reached for the door handle.

He sensed the sudden change in Jaime without even bothering to glance back at him.

“Don’t think just because I don’t sit around scowling like the rest of you means I don’t care,” he muttered sternly. “She was my friend too.”

Logan closed his eyes as he sighed and muttered with less heat than before. “Yeah well I ain’t your friend.”

“Hey, I ain’t looking for us to co-sign a lease or form a two man folk band but we’re in this together right now and the way I see it, you knew Rogue, I knew Rogue, we both cared about Rogue, at the very least...,” he trailed off and Logan finally glanced back at him. “We’re acquaintances.”

“Fine,’ Logan growled past his teeth.

Moving past him Jaime opened the door. “Besides I was just making sure nothing had happened to you, what with government agents and the walking dead after us, I don’t take my jobs lightly.”

“Whatever,” Logan grunted.

Jaime rolled his eyes and started to move inside. “You know you and Wanda are actually a lot alike, very conversational. See Rogue,” he paused even as he kept moving through the building. “Rogue, she was a challenge; she had a sass that kept even me on my toes.”

Shaking his head behind Jaime, Logan felt the tension in his shoulders level out a bit as he smirked after the other mutant. The guy really wasn’t so bad and he was one of the few who had last been around Rogue, one of the few who even presently talked about her in a positive sense and really he couldn’t fault the guy for it. In fact it was refreshing.
‘Bread crumbs are not enough to satisfy this hunger’ by noVa451
“Good you two are back,” Pietro acknowledged as both Jaime and Logan closed the break door behind them.

Logan ignored the silvered haired mutant and his sister as he made his way across towards the storage room.

“Hey, Wolverine, where do you think you’re going?” Pietro began. “We need to leave soon and organize...”

“I ain’t one for organizing Speedy Gonzalez so you figure that out on your own while I take a minute and I don’t need your permission,” Logan grated as he opened the storage door and closed it firmly behind him.

Sighing, he listened for a moment to see if any of them would follow but he heard them start talking again. Grabbing a chair he pulled it up in front of the coffin and took a seat as he slowly pulled the package out of his jacket.

Feeling the weight of it in his hands he glanced up at the closed coffin. “I’m gunna assume this is from you Rogue. You’re the only one who ever bothered to send me anything ever,” he whispered quietly. “There better be some god damn answers in here as to why you’re lying in there.”

Ripping the brown package paper off, he was surprised when a familiar cell phone fell into his lap. Gripping the small phone, he recognized the ‘X’ symbol engraved in its cool steel. A small note was attached to it.


Logan,

Thought you could use this in case things get too messy and you need us ‘X-geeks’.

Jean

Ps. And no we aren’t still in the area. We trust you know what you’re doing but as you know the Professor and all of us have never stopped thinking of you as one of us despite your objections.


Smirking to himself, he eyed the waste basket in the corner of the room but after a moment he pocketed the phone in his jacket. What was left in his hands appeared to be the original package that had been sent to him at Xavier’s. It was bundled tightly in packaging paper and tape. In anticipation he released one claw and sliced through the tape.

His anticipation dropped however, when all that was revealed was a file folder. No note. Eyeing the plain folder he levelled his eyes on the coffin.

“Don’t get much more impersonal do yah, Rogue,” he grated.

He kicked out at another chair and snapped, “For a fucking cell phone, Jean leaves me a note but you...”

Stopping he reached up and rubbed his face. “I didn’t mean that,” he whispered solemnly.

Leaning forward on his knees he muttered, “Great I’m talking to a dead body.”

Glancing once more at the closed door he flipped the folder open. Immediately something slipped out from it and landed on the floor with a clang that echoed throughout the room.

In shock Logan glanced down at the object and realized he’d been wrong about Rogue being impersonal.

Reaching down he wrapped the familiar chain around his fingers as he lifted it up. Dangling the chain in front of his face he felt a confliction of emotions wash over him. It wasn’t his original dog tags; those had been lost at Alkali Lake when he’d given them back to Stryker so to speak. When Rogue and he had begun dating he’d given her a new set for their first anniversary. She’d always worn the tags even up to the moment where she’d left him.

There was a difference though in the tags he’d given her and the one he was holding in his hand. The one he was presently holding had only one dog tag on it, it was missing the other. Was it another sign of rejection that she’d sent him it back, he wondered. Or perhaps it was the only way she’d felt comfortable communicating with him then through a note, remembering how disjointed her one letter had been.

Pocketing the chain as well, he finally observed the other contents of the file. His forehead creased as his wide eyes grew in shock at what he was holding. It was a file all about him. And none of it was anything Rogue had contributed herself.

He spotted Stryker’s name throughout some of the papers and what appeared to be his signature on medical release forms. There were sketches and blueprints of what he recognized as his operation that he only had nightmares about. Flipping through the pages in confusion and surprise he came across a form that told him he’d been in the Canadian Forces; that he’d been a soldier. Despite all this sudden information before him, it brought about no great epiphany for him. The folder was filled like a disorganized scrapbook, pieces were still missing. The question of why he had the procedure done still plagued him; however, as he looked closer at the file that held solid concrete facts to his past, he felt a sense of relief. Holding in his own hands he had proof that he had a past.

At the back he came across an old picture of him in his uniform and he was forced to face a ghost from his past. The faded colours of the picture did nothing to diminish its effect on him. He’d been somebody.

Securely closing the file he slipped it in the back of his jeans and under his jacket as he stood up and regarded the coffin.

“What exactly were you into, Marie?” he wondered out loud.

Startled out of his reflection he realized he’d allowed himself to become distracted as he heard a small noise behind him, a small body lowering itself from the ceiling. Despite the noise it was the smell that told him who it was without turning around.

Slowly, he turned from the coffin and faced the young woman as his eyes darted up to the ceiling where one of the panels was missing.

“That’s what I’m here to find out,” Dead Girl replied.
‘The jack in the box went up and up’ by noVa451
Logan’s eyes darted towards the door that was still closed.

“There’s no need to involve your friends,” Dead Girl spoke quietly still; she hadn’t moved an inch in front of him. “No need for violence.”

“The fact that you came in by crawling through the ceiling kind of sets the tone on our involvement.”

“I’ve just come for one touch,” she replied very robotic like.

“Not happening.”

Her head quirked to the side as her eerie dark eyes watched him like a hawk. “I could give you the opportunity to make your peace with her. Settle whatever there is between you that was unresolved in her life.”

Logan turned his head slightly towards the coffin keeping the other mutant in sight.

“No,” he replied harshly. “I won’t let you bring her back for anyone else’s means, not mine and certainly not Magneto’s.”

“I promise to return her back to her present state afterwards, if that’s what you are worried about.”

“No,” he snapped again. “She deserves her peace.”

Dead Girl’s pale lips thinned. “What about my peace?” she snapped.

“I ain’t here to hear your melodrama. You’re treating this like a business transaction.”

“It is,” she replied once again neutral.

“How much is Magneto paying you that you’re willing to lose another limb?” he spoke nodding to her clearly reattached hand.

“It is really less of a concern to me then you think. My curse is my job.”

“You could just walk away,” he responded.

Slowly she shook her head.

“Fine then,” he began as his claws slid out on either
hand. “You’re not goin’ like how this goes.”

A small smile moved across her pale blue face harshly.

“You amuse me.”

A feral smirk grazed his lips in response. “That’s not all I’m goin’ do.”

Lunging at her with a growl she side stepped him and caught him with a kick to his kidneys.

“I may be dead but I’m still kicking,” she responded as she threw a right fist his way.

Ducking he caught her in the mid section and threw her against the wall. She landed with a loud bang as the plaster cracked under her body but she was barely winded.
Across the room she scowled at him in sudden irritation.

“What the hell is going on in here?!” Jaime yelled suddenly as he opened the door. “Oh shit!” he exclaimed as he spotted Dead Girl.

Surprising him, Dead Girl kicked at the door forcing him back out as the door snapped shut under her strength.

Moving forward she eyed him in anticipation. “No more interruptions,” she grated.

“This coming from the girl who dropped down from the ceiling.”

She quirked her head at him but her attention was suddenly on the coffin, her movements indicating her next actions.

Leaping forward, Logan moved to intercept her and landed a kick in her mid section as she flew against the door.
Standing up straight Logan watched the door in confusion as an orange light appeared around its edges and seemed to get brighter and brighter.

His eyes grew wide as he heard the humming sound and he jumped to the side as the door appeared to explode forward even as Dead Girl leant against it for support.
There was a loud pop that occurred in his ears as wood splintered around him. Crouched low against the wall, he opened his eyes as he watched an angry Wanda move into the room, followed by Pietro and Jaime. Their lips were moving but he couldn’t make out the words, there was a continuous buzzing in his ears. He oddly felt like he was under water or trapped in a fog of some sort. Pietro moved to lean down beside him but although he wasn’t far away, it looked to him as though Pietro was moving agonizingly slow.

As he got closer he could slowly make out the other mutant’s words. “Wanda’s hex backfired,” Pietro spoke slowly. “It should fix itself quickly.” He paused as he frowned towards his sister. “It can happen when her emotions aren’t focused, when she’s...”

“For example suddenly, erratically angry,” Jaime chimed in.

Standing up, Logan moved forward but found his body felt unnaturally heavy and his movements weighed down.

Wanda kept her attention forward and Logan noticed her clenching and unclenching her fists. “Sorry,” she murmured.

Glancing forward, Logan wasn’t sure her apology was going to be enough. The force of the explosion had thrown Dead Girl towards the coffin. The lid was blown off, leaving Rogue’s body open and Dead Girl was somewhere on the other side no doubt recuperating faster than them.

“Can’t you do anything,” he directed towards Wanda as he spotted Dead Girl’s hand rise up on the wall as she pulled herself up.

“If I do it will only make things worse,” Wanda replied.

“You just had to come charging in here,” Logan snapped back.

“You were in trouble,” she spat back. “And so was Rogue.”

“I was handling it until you let your PMS get the better of you.”

Her eyes lit up in rage in front of him. “You bastard...”

“Uh, guys,” Jaime interrupted. “Now’s really not the time.”

Dead Girl was fully standing over Rogue’s body. Looking up she smiled at them once before reaching for Rogue’s bare cheek.

Pietro suddenly stepped forward as he used his power and charged at her. Unfortunately, because of the backfired hex, time appeared to slow as the green and black blur became sluggish and stopped about two feet from Dead Girl.

“Damn it!” Pietro yelled.

Logan could only watch helplessly as Dead Girl reached out and touched Rogue. Collectively they seemed to hold their breath at the contact.

“No!” Logan yelled but it was too late.

Dead Girl’s pale bare hand caressed Rogue’s bare cheek.

All four of them waited a beat, their breath held collectively.

Nothing happened at the contact.

Dead Girl frowned and eyed Logan before touching Rogue again.

“Uh shouldn’t something be happening?” Jaime spoke up.

Suddenly, the haze Logan felt himself in appeared to lift itself, as the after effects of Wanda’s backfired hex disappeared and he was able to move forward. Pietro however was the closest and took Dead Girl down as he pushed her out of the way.

Logan raced over towards the coffin but was startled when suddenly there was a sharp loud intake of breath and Rogue’s body sprang up halfway out of the coffin. Her eyes were wide and frightened as she struggled for air. She appeared oblivious to them as she ran her hands franticly across her stomach.

“Marie...” Logan gasped in shock as he heard the other’s behind him shout her name.

Her hand gripped the edge of the coffin as her breathing started to slow and she turned slightly to meet his gaze. Her eyes were still wild and watery but he spotted the sudden confusion that seeped into them.

“You little bitch,” Wanda yelled suddenly as she hovered over Dead Girl. “You actually did it!”

“No,” Dead Girl responded in an unusual emotive tone as she displayed shock. “My power didn’t work.”

Tentatively, Logan moved forward and reached out for Rogue but she jumped slightly in the coffin. Her eyes gazed down and when she realized she was in a coffin she became anxious and almost toppled out of it before Logan caught her and steadied her. She didn’t fight him but he could tell she wasn’t exactly fully aware of what was going on.

“What do you mean your power didn’t work?” Pietro snapped.

“There was no way,” Dead Girl responded.

“What?” Jaime questioned.

“There was no way my power could work,” Dead Girl replied. “She was alive already.”
‘Explanation leads to fruitless contemplation’ by noVa451
Logan watched Rogue keenly as she stood stock still in his grip, her eyes darting back and forth around the room but never having the time to focus on anything. She didn’t appear to be aware that he was holding her up.

“If she’d been alive this whole time,” Jaime spoke up with some heat. “Don’t you think she would’ve had some objections to being carted around in a coffin?”

“I was there,” Wanda snapped suddenly. “I was the one who found her body covered in bullet holes and blood, don’t tell me your power didn’t work.” She finished by narrowing her eyes at Dead Girl.

Dead Girl stood up straight. “I can only tell you that my power had no chance to work just this very moment when I touched her. Her body appeared to be alive.”

With no apparent concern Dead Girl made her way towards the door.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Wanda threatened as she moved to cut off her exit.

“There are no dead bodies here,” Dead Girl replied. “My assigned job is non-existent as the target is alive and not susceptible to my powers.”

“Wanda, let her go,” Pietro spoke up.

In response Wanda’s dark eyes flashed towards her brother with an ominous stare.

“You cannot be serious,” she hissed.

Pietro didn’t back down from her stare. “She’s right; she has no purpose for being here anymore, so therefore she is no longer a threat.”

“Magneto...” Wanda began.

“I don’t work for him anymore,” Dead Girl interjected and proceeded to take a step forwards.

“Wait!” Wanda yelled.

“Wanda,” Pietro spoke low.

Wanda proceeded to hold her hand up and ignored her brother as her eyes focused on Logan and Rogue who were both quiet.

“Logan,” she called out but his attention was on Rogue.

“Logan!” she yelled again and slowly his intense gaze found hers.

He was unnaturally quiet and they all picked up on how still his body suddenly was.

“She was dead wasn’t she?” Wanda asked him. “Rogue she was...”

“Yes,” he hissed back.

“And now, with your senses can you confirm she’s...”

Logan turned back to focus on Rogue who was oblivious to them. His eyes roved her body with an intense observing heat.

“Logan...” Wanda began but he interrupted her.

“She’s alive now,” he began his voice low and gravelly. “She’s breathing. She has a heartbeat. She’s warm,” he finished.

Jaime noticeably raised both his eyebrows up at the last part of Logan’s words as everyone else remained quiet.

“If my power had worked she would have no noticeable breath, no heartbeat and....” Dead Girl paused as a foreign smile appeared on her face. “She certainly wouldn’t be warm.”

“Wanda, let her go we have other things to deal with right now,” Pietro spoke with command, but his eyes kept darting towards Rogue and Logan as a frown crossed his face.

Wanda hesitated a moment before glaring at Dead Girl and stepping back.

Without any more concern for them Dead Girl left and didn’t turn back.

“So,” Jaime began. “One Dead Girl leaves and now we have one Non- Dead Girl,” he stumbled as he glanced at Rogue with an attempt at humour but she didn’t acknowledge them.

Logan directed Rogue towards the door.

“What are you doing?” Pietro demanded suddenly.

Logan’s harsh stare met his. “Thought she might like to sit down.”

“Why don’t you ask her if that’s what she wants?”

“Can’t,” Logan gruffly responded as he continued through the door. “She’s in shock.”


“Pietro,” Wanda directed towards her brother in warning as Jaime followed after Logan and Rogue. “Do try not to let your sudden re-born jealousy mess things up.”

“Be quiet,” he spat back.

“You’re projecting it like an open book. You were the one who suggested we involve him in this.”

“Wanda, I’m warning you just shut up,” he snapped.

“You’re losing your cool brother. It was alright to have him around when Rogue was dead because then he wasn’t competition but now, now you have to witness the reality that you have never had the ability to face and that is Rogue cares for you and perhaps even loves you but she does not love you the way you want her to.”

Pietro turned from his sister with a grimace on his face.

“I accept it sister,” he hissed lowly. “It’s just a bit of a surprise, a good surprise to see her alive again and then – then too see him holding her. Where was he the past year?”

Wanda sighed. “It could be said the same of her, Pietro. Where was she when he needed her, when he was losing himself? You may know Rogue and you may know parts of Logan but you do not know them as a couple. You told me not to question their past relationship once, as though you saw something I didn’t at the time. We aren’t here to understand it, we’re here because of our friend and she’s sitting out there confused and in shock when we should be celebrating that something good came out of this.”

Pietro sighed. “When did you get so level-headed in all this?”

“I think it’s just been the stress of all this, it’s kind of levelled itself out,” she answered with a sympathetic gaze towards her brother.

Pietro nodded. “We still need lots of answers.”

“Yes,” Wanda admitted as she glanced at the door. “Something tells me though that Rogue won’t be any more open about those answers then before she died.”

“Yeah, well there are a few more questions to add,” Pietro began as he made his way towards the door. “Like how did she come back from the dead?”
‘Instinct is a blind man’s rule’ by noVa451
“Here you go,” Jaime smiled softly at Rogue as he passed her a cup of water.

Glancing up at him, she blinked twice before Logan reached forward and grasped the cup himself. Jaime frowned and backed away from the couch Rogue was sitting on with Logan hovering just beside her.

“Thanks,” Logan muttered, but his eyes were on Rogue as she wrapped her arms around herself and stared at the floor.

Jaime started to shrug himself out of his jacket.

“I got it,” Logan spoke levelly as he took his jacket off and placed it over Rogue’s shoulders. She didn’t look up at him but her fingers clenched the beaten leather jacket closer. Jaime quirked an eyebrow at the way she closed her eyes and inhaled the collar of the jacket. Logan, however, appeared unfazed.

Rogue’s dark brown eyes darted towards Wanda and Pietro as they joined them but she still didn’t speak. She drew her body up as much as she could in the over-sized jacket and leant back, noticeably closer to Logan’s presence.

“Rogue,” Wanda whispered with relief as she stepped forward. “It’s so good to see you…alive.”

Rogue leant back further at the same time Logan stepped forward, her eyes were wide.

Wanda frowned and looked from the unresponsive Rogue to Logan.

“She’s a little overwhelmed,” he supplied, his tone held a warning.

Wanda nodded slowly. “When do you think she’ll be,” she paused searching for the words. “More coherent?”

Logan shrugged. “It’s hard to know in such situations how long it takes a person to deal with the fact they’ve come back from the dead.”

All four of them watched silently as Rogue absently rubbed her head and scrunched her eyes closed.

“What’s wrong?” Pietro asked.

Moving very slowly, Logan crouched in front of her, his hand faltering as he placed it on the couch beside her thigh.

Leaning forward, Rogue opened her eyes.

“Not real,” she whispered her voice hoarse.

Logan sighed and clenched his fist beside her. His lips twitched but he failed to provide her with a comforting smile.

“It is da…” he paused and glanced downwards before glancing up and succeeding in giving her a small smile. “It’s real. You’re safe.” He nodded.

She stared at him, her deep brown eyes wide as they glistened and shook her head furiously from side to side.

“Yes,” Logan spoke softly.

She shook her head no again and he could tell she was about to become hysterical. Clenching his jaw he unclenched his fist and slowly touched her thigh. She stilled immediately and glanced down at his hand. She nodded slowly and Logan’s hand relaxed but it was noticeable that the rest of him was tense.

“Perhaps she simply doesn’t believe it,” Pietro began, speaking up and breaking the silence in the room.

“Believe what?” Logan ground out but didn’t turn around.

“You’re the last person she’d expect to see, so I’m sure your presence isn’t helping with her state of mind.”

Logan turned and glared at the other man, as a small growl vibrated in his chest. The noise however stopped immediately as he felt a light touch on his hand. Shifting his head he watched Rogue as she absently rubbed the space between his knuckles.

“I’m not so sure you’re right about that Pietro,” Jaime added sincerely but with a wry sense of humour.

Coughing slightly Logan pulled his hand back very slowly.

Standing up straight he passed Rogue the cup of water who seemed unaffected by his sudden discomfort.

“Maybe, if we move her somewhere more comfortable she’ll recuperate faster and then – well then we can go from there,” Wanda interjected the tense silence. Her gaze held a mix of amusement and fascination as she watched Rogue and Logan interact.

“In case you’ve forgotten we still have one hell of a babe with snake skin and a small task force after us,” Jaime remarked.

“The faster Rogue recuperates the faster we can grill her for answers,” Wanda replied, her gaze sharpening as she focused on the unconcerned Rogue.

“There’s the Wanda I know,” Jaime smirked.

Wanda smiled kindly at Rogue who suddenly looked up at her, but her words were sharp. “She may be my friend, but after the week I’ve had I’m going to want some damn answers.” She glanced up and met Logan’s hard gaze. “I’m sure I’m not the only one.”

Logan crossed his arms and levelled his gaze.

“As much as I hate to say it,” Pietro interjected. “We will have to ease her into what’s going on. So no pushing Wanda.”

Wanda rolled her eyes.

“We’ll head into the next town, where we met you Logan and go from there.”

Logan grunted at Pietro. “Staying in a motel or hotel will be a good idea, the more public the better. The people after us whoever they are aren’t going to want to draw any un-necessary attention.”

“Does that mean we’ll actually get to have some fun and some real food?” Jaime spoke up.

“Is that all you think about?” Wanda snapped.

Jaime shrugged. “I want to sleep on a real bed.”

“Let’s move then,” Pietro instructed.

Logan’s hand hovered behind Rogue’s back as he indicated for her to stand up. She complied and stepped forward; her eyes darted around the room and stopped as she spotted the coffin in the back room. Immediately, her face creased in confusion but Logan pulled her away before she had a chance to focus on it any further.

“Couldn’t have shut the door after yourself, Pietro?” Jaime questioned as he headed towards the exit.

Pietro frowned and moved forward as he placed himself between the exit and Rogue. He motioned for her to move through but she backed up towards Logan.

Logan’s hand moved to touch her back lightly.

“It’s alright,” he directed softly but his eyes were on Pietro.

Both Rogue and Logan moved through the door.


“Don’t beat yourself up about it too much,” Wanda whispered softly towards her brother. “It’s not really about you.”

Pietro grimaced. “She doesn’t seem to recognize any of us yet. But him….” He finished more forcibly.

“It’s just instinct,” Wanda shrugged and moved past him.

Pietro huffed and followed her. “It’s going to be a joy when she remembers they hate each other.”
‘Old haunts, new ghosts’ by noVa451
“This isn’t exactly what I had in mind,” Jaime whined as he threw his duffle bag on one of the double beds.

“It’s a bed isn’t it?” Wanda shot back at him.

“Yeah, yeah,” he mumbled back. “But your brother rolls in his sleep.”

“You two could share a bed,” Pietro added with mirth as he walked into the large motel room.

Wanda rolled her eyes as Jaime smirked at her.

“Wanda and Rogue will have the other bed,” Logan instructed as he followed with a trailing mute Rogue.

“I’ll take the couch.”

Wanda smirked at her brother’s irritated face and sat on the other bed.

Moving through the room Logan glanced out the window as he observed the parking lot. Rogue remained standing in the middle of the room, her eyes wandering around as her fingers absently clutched at the zipper on Logan’s leather jacket.

“Hey Rogue,” Jaime spoke softly from the bed. Her wide eyes snapped in the direction of his voice. “Come take a load off,” he added and patted the bed beside him.

She narrowed her eyes at him and glanced at Logan from out of the corner of her eye but his attention appeared to still be on what lay outside the window. Shuffling forward she sat down hesitantly beside the smiling Jaime and bounced softly on the bed.

Her nostril’s flared out and she cocked her head to the side as she observed Jaime’s smile.

“Ja..ime,” she uttered.

In response Jaime’s smile grew wider even as everyone else in the room turned to focus on them.

“That’s right,” he encouraged and she nodded a little. “I knew you couldn’t forget my charming face.”

Rogue paused and licked her lips as she glanced away from Jaime.

“When’d you get so shy, Roguey?” he sassed her.

She glanced up at him again through her bangs. “Wha…what happened?” she gasped a little.

His smile fell a little as he eyed Logan across the room feeling the other man’s intense stare.

“You don’t remember?”

She shook her head and reached up to graze the side of her forehead. “It’s all…it’s all so fuzzy.”

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Pietro urged her.

Her forehead creased and she appeared to draw back into herself as she gazed at the blank wall ahead of her.

“Pain,” she whispered breathlessly.

Pietro moved forward as he sat beside her on the bed.

“Hey,” he uttered. “You’re okay now.”

She glanced at him with watery eyes and shook her head after a while.

“Hey,” he whispered desperately as he reached for her shaking hand.

She tensed a little but didn’t draw back. “What do you mean no?”

“It will come back,” she whispered and looked away from him.

Pietro glanced up and looked at the both confused Jaime and Wanda but they had nothing to say. He heard movement behind him but refused to acknowledge that Logan was suddenly hovering over the bed.

“It always does,” Rogue whispered to herself and slipped her hand out of Pietro’s grasp.

Pietro sighed as silence over took them all.

“Why don’t you go and take a warm shower, Rogue,” Jaime interrupted the tense silence. “I’m sure you’ll feel better afterwards. Wanda has some extra clothes you can borrow.”

Slowly Rogue nodded her head. “Okay,” she answered numbly.

Standing up she dragged her right foot in front of her left one as she made her way towards the bathroom.

“Here,” Pietro spoke up as he reached to take the over-sized jacket off of her.

Her response was so fast he didn’t have time to respond as a low growl was heard and she whipped around and pushed him back so hard he flew across both beds and landed against the adjacent wall.

“What the hell?” Jaime yelled even as Logan moved across the room and placed his hand on Rogue’s tense shoulder.
Even as Logan moved into her personal space, she appeared conflicted, her eyes blinking several times faster, as though she couldn’t fathom Logan’s sudden presence.

“Go on,” Logan instructed in a gruff voice despite the awkward tension between them. Rogue lowered her eyes and shrugged herself out of his jacket and moved towards the bathroom without a second glance.

Running a hand through his hair Logan swung his jacket over his shoulder and glanced at the fallen Pietro who was being helped to his feet by Wanda.

“What the hell was that about?” Pietro directed at him.

“She growled at me!” he shouted and dusted his sister off of him. “She sounded just like you.”

“She acted just like him,” Wanda added slowly.

“Now I know Rogue can kick ass but I have never seen her throw someone across the room that far like they weighed next to nothing,” Jaime added in surprise.

“That wasn’t like me,” Logan spoke quietly, his eyes on the closed bathroom door. “Even I don’t have that amount of strength,” he finished by nodding in the direction of the newly formed dent in the wall where Pietro had landed.

“We need to get her to a doctor,” Wanda spoke seriously. “Missing memories and whatever the hell that just was aside, she did just come back from the dead. And as her memories become less foggy I have a feeling she’ll be less compliant to our instructions and questions.”

“We can’t just send her to any old doctor, we need one that specializes in mutants,” Pietro indicated.

“Doctor’s don’t usually advertise that,” Jaime added with a frown.

“Logan,” Wanda called in his direction as he stood with his attention on the bathroom door, his head cocked slightly to the side. “Logan!” she hissed quietly.

He turned slowly to meet her gaze.

“Did you hear what I…”

“I heard you,” he interrupted.

“And?”

“She does need to see a doctor soon but I don’t know…”

“Sure you do,” Wanda interjected. “Dr. Jean Grey,” she finished tightly.

“Whoa, Wanda,” Jaime blurted out. “You sure it’s a good idea to get the X-Men involved this late in the game?”

Logan was unusually quiet as his ear closest towards the bathroom twitched as though he heard something they could not.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Pietro spoke up.
“Everyone’s a little tense and on edge right now. Why don’t we get something to eat and catch up on some rest and see how Rogue is doing and maybe we can ask her what she wants to do.”

“Oh yeah, ‘cause that worked so well the last time we confronted her about what was going on,” Wanda added flippantly.

“Wanda,” Pietro gritted his teeth. “I meant about the doctor and the choice of the X-men, we can’t force that on her.”

“I might know of someone else that I can try and get in contact with,” Logan spoke up as his dark eyes remained unnervingly focused on the bathroom door.
‘My lies are what hold this web’ by noVa451
“Mhmmmm warm food,” Jaime moaned as he picked up one of the wings off of his plate.

Wanda rolled her eyes beside him.

Logan stared past her, as his eyes roved around the familiar bar. Slowly he reached up and took the cigar out of his mouth; he’d lit it as soon as they’d made their way across the street to the bar, something to occupy him with. He ignored Pietro beside him and he hardly glanced at Rogue on the other side of him, but he was very aware of her. She was quite and was watching the room in a familiar way.

“Rogue, you’ve hardly touched your food,” Jaime spoke around a mouth full of food.

Twitching slightly, Rogue glanced at him and then down at her sandwich but then quickly resumed her scanning of the room.

“You would think she’d have an appetite after…Ow!” Jaime trailed off as Wanda elbowed him in the ribs. “What?”

“Shut up,” she hissed back.

Rogue appeared unaware of them, but Logan sensed a newfound energy to her, as she fidgeted under the table.
He followed her gaze as she watched as some man in a black jacket made his way towards the bathrooms.

Rogue stood up.

“Hey, where you going?” Wanda asked in surprise.

Rogue’s eyes darted briefly towards her as she muttered, “The bathroom.” She took off before either of them could respond.

“Is it just me or has she gotten weirder since we left the motel?”

“No, it’s not just you,” Pietro muttered back as he sipped on his beer, his eyes following Rogue.

“Maybe I should go with her, shouldn’t leave her alone,” Wanda spoke up.

“I will,” Logan responded suddenly as he stood up and made his way towards the back of the bar before anyone could argue with him.


Moving his way through the tables Logan stalked towards the bathroom corridor. Stopping outside the girls’ door, he sniffed and tilted his head. His eyes narrowing as he focused his gaze on the exit door at the end. Frowning, he put his cigar out on his palm which had healed by the time he’d placed the stub in his jacket pocket.

Stealthy, he moved towards the door and opened it slowly and slipped out into the dark back parking lot. Leaning back into the shadows, he took a deep breath as he focused his senses, his ears picking up the voices around the corner on his right. Quietly, he made his way towards the edge of the building.

“You have to have something similar at least?” Logan made out Rogue’s hurried whisper.

“I’m not sure I have what you’re looking for exactly,” a man responded back.

“Look,” Rogue stressed. “I need something.”

“Alright, alright,” the man sighed. “This is no where near as strong as the stuff you were looking for, but it is sort of a knock off of what you wanted. Don’t know if it will do the trick…”

“It’s fine,” Rogue snapped anxiously. “Hurry up.”

“Here,” the guy muttered as Logan heard shuffling. “Pay up.”

“You want anything else?” the guy asked.

“No she doesn’t,” Logan growled low as he stepped around the corner and into the light.

The guy gasped at him in shock as both he and Rogue remained staring at Logan in surprise. Logan glared at her as he spotted a small black pouch in her hand.

Noticing his stare, she slowly moved her hand behind her back but she was too late, he moved forward and reached for her wrist.

She hissed even as she struggled against his grip as he ripped the pouch from her hand.

“You,” Logan directed towards the man in the black jacket. “Aren’t going anywhere yet.” His free hand reached up and grabbed the guy’s collar as he pushed him against the wall.

“Whoa,” the guy stumbled. “You a cop?”

“No,” Logan hissed through his teeth, as he kept his eyes on Rogue.

“Oh,” the guy muttered as his eyes darted between Logan and Rogue. “Hey, look man, it’s not my problem your girl’s a user.”

Rogue’s blank eyes suddenly seeped with expression as she snapped her head towards the dealer. “I’m not his girl,” she spat.

“There you are,” Logan whispered as a dark feral smirk slithered across his face.

Rogue frowned at him and pulled her arm out of his grasp but he still held onto the pouch.

Glancing down, he opened it and spotted two vials of a light green liquid and a syringe.

“What’s it do?” he asked.

When he didn’t get a response his tone became more threatening. “What’s it suppose to do?” he directed towards the dealer.

“Look, I don’t want to get mixed up in…”

“What’s it do?” Logan yelled.

The dealer swallowed. “It’s…”

“Shut up!” Rogue suddenly snapped fiercely.

The dealer swallowed dryly twice as he found himself confronted by both of their narrowing glares.

The guy mumbled something and Rogue opened her mouth again but Logan beat her to it.

“I think I deserve a right to know seeing as how my money was used to pay for it,” Logan remarked coolly, his eyes flashing at Rogue as she closed her mouth.

“Death must have made you sloppy darlin’, because I knew the moment you slipped the money out of my jacket in the booth.”

Rogue glared at him but finally glanced towards the ground as her silence confirmed her guilt.

“Tell me,” Logan demanded.

“Okay,” the dealer stumbled. “Look, it’s just a drug for mutants.”

Logan raised an eyebrow at him as the dealer glanced nervously at Rogue but she didn’t acknowledge him.

“It sort of works as a downer. It depends really on the mutant’s power. It will help suppress and give the mutant more control of their power. Look man, this drug it’s no big deal really.”

“My money says otherwise,” Logan responded darkly.

“Okay, so it does give the user a high and…”

“A withdrawal,” Logan interjected.

“Yeah,” the guy nodded. “That can happen.”

Logan sighed as he weighed the pouch in his hand.

Looking up sharply he weighed his eyes on the shaking dealer. “Beat it.”

He didn’t have to be told twice as he took off.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Logan questioned Rogue as she moved forward.

“Away from you,” she snapped, her eyes flashing.

Logan chuckled darkly and shook his head at her.

“What?” she demanded.

“I knew you weren’t going to be able to keep it up long.”

“What are you talking about?”

He leaned in as the laughter stopped and his eyes gleamed in the brief moonlight. “I sensed the change in you while you were in the bathroom.”

She frowned and leant against the wall away from him.

“You had a sudden different energy about you. Guess the shock factor wore off and you remembered everything but you were still playing it up, the lost girl routine on the way to the bar, so I figured I’d play along and see why.”

She remained silent as she glared at him, her sudden angry body language towards him confirmed it even more that she’d come back to herself.

“A drug addict, eh,” he remarked as he lifted the pouch up in his hand. “You come back from the dead and immediately you’re looking for your next fix, meanwhile your friends in there are walking around on eggshells because they care about you and you just use it to your advantage.”

She turned to go and he felt something in him snap at her silence and he pushed her back against the wall.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?” he spat in her face.

Slowly tilting her head up towards him she licked her lips and whispered, “Well are you going to give it back to me or not?”

He snarled and pushed away from her.

“I don’t even know who you are anymore.”

“You told me that three years ago, don’t you think it’s getting redundant.”

He shook his head at her coldness and took a deep breath as he stepped farther away from her.

“So this is all you care about,” he indicated the drugs.

“Right now.”

He could see the sudden hunger in her eyes for what he held in his hand, her body seemed to twitch in anticipation; she couldn’t appear to hold still for a second. Taking a deep breath, he watched as he could suddenly spot her breath in the night air, which was odd given how warm of a night it was.

“Tell me why this,” he shook the pouch in his hand. “Has suddenly made you into even more of a selfish bitch?”

It was a small reaction but he caught the way she started in surprise at his use of language towards her.

“You can control your skin, so why would you want this particular drug? Can’t be just about the high, he could have sold you anything for that.”

“I don’t have to tell you anything,” she spoke defiantly.

A dark smirk crossed his face. “Well I suppose it ain’t news that you never give me any answers.”

Ignoring her stare, he pocketed the pouch in the inside of his jacket. “Since my money paid for it, suppose it’s mine now.”

Raising her chin at him she pushed off the wall. “Fine,” she responded coolly.

Making her way around the corner and back inside he frowned at the way she stumbled slightly against the wall even as she disappeared from his sight.

“ARGHHH!” he yelled suddenly as he slammed his fist into the brick wall.

Spinning around he paced for a moment as his nostrils flared in and out his hand running through his dark locks harshly. With a sense of determination creeping on his face he stalked after her, his claws shooting out of his left hand as he trailed them along the wall.



“Rogue,” he growled after her as she moved through a group of people waiting in line for the bathrooms.

She ignored him. Frustrated he kept his eyes on her moving form, his gaze drawn to her hips and briefly down towards her ass. He growled at himself, hating the fact that while he thought she was a bitch, he couldn’t deny his attraction to her. The Wolverine in him was in agreement but he’d been fighting to keep him buried since she’d come back to life, knowing exactly what the beast in him wanted to do and knowing it wasn’t that simple.
She stopped short at the bar as she spotted the others in the booth talking, not yet noticing her. She slid up to the bar and sat on one of the stools.

“A shot of whisky,” she muttered at the bartender.

Her hand shook a little as she ran it through her long chestnut locks of hair.

“Rogue,” he grated as he slid onto the stool beside her.

“What do you want now?” she muttered. Reaching forward she grabbed her shot and downed it in a flash as she proceeded to nod at the bartender for a refill.

“You just came back from the dead and you’re walking around like it’s nothing, don’t you think we deserve to know why that is?” his voice strained as he tried to remain rational.

“Maybe I don’t know why.”

Leaning in, her eyes fluttered towards him as her unexpectedly anxious gaze met his.

“See I think you know why,” he whispered. “Because you’re a lot less freaked out by it then one would expect.”

Glancing down she traced her index finger around the rim of the shot glass.

“It’s not like I planned on being gunned down in the middle of the street,” she whispered.

He frowned. “But you knew someone was after you?”

She nodded slowly.

“Who?” he pressed. “Why is any of this happening, Rogue…”

“Wolverine,” a voice called on his right suddenly.

Startled and annoyed by the interruption he turned too glare at the sudden presence.

“What?” he barked in agitation.

“I missed you.”

His eyes widened in surprise at the blonde woman who was suddenly leaning suggestively against him and the bar. He recognized her vaguely but he couldn’t remember her name.

“I’m busy,” he snapped as he went to turn back to Rogue.

“But Wolverine,” the blonde purred as her hand abruptly landed on his thigh. “We had so much fun the last time you were here and even though…well…” she paused and pouted at him. “Even though you weren’t exactly civil when you said goodbye, I wasn’t afraid.” She nodded towards his knuckles.

One eyebrow rose up as he realized she’d been one of the blondes he’d been with when he’d gotten the call about Rogue.

“Look…”

“Heather,” she filled in for him.

He nodded. “Look, I don’t …”

“Come on,” she interrupted him. “I know you’re the best at what you do.”

A snort on the other side of him caused him to tense as he heard Rogue stifle her laughter in her shot glass as she swallowed the whisky.

Feeling unnaturally embarrassed Logan leant away from Heather. “I’m not interested.”

“You won’t even have a drink with me,” she teased. “If I recall you were very thirsty last time…and that’s not all you were thirsty for.”

Suddenly, Rogue was unable to contain her laughter.

Heather frowned a little and tilted her head around Logan as she tried to get a good look at Rogue.

Logan leant further against the bar trying to block her view. “Seriously,” he snarled. “Leave me alone. I’m not interested.” Turning around he put his back to her as she finally got the hint to leave.

His shoulders were tense as he stared straight ahead waiting for Rogue to say whatever she was going to say.

“Classy,” she remarked.

“Fuck you,” he snarled at her. “You gave up caring what or who I do a long time ago.”

The laughter vanished from her face as she toyed with the empty shot glass, when she looked back up at him; she had a well practice cold smirk back in place. “I meant it was classy how you dismissed her like that,” she shot back at him. “Probably wasn’t fair.”

“What can I say,” he paused and copied her smirk. “I took a page out of your book.”

Her smirk faltered a little but still remained on her face, but her eyes, her eyes flickered quickly with a flash of emotion that let him know he’d finally hit her in the right place. He nodded at the bartender for a shot, his brief satisfaction leaving him quickly, for he could take no joy out of it, because everything was just too fucked up. The truth was despite everything, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, because the first thing he wanted to do was to somehow fix everything, to some how go back to a world where Rogue and he weren’t at odds with each other, but he didn’t know how to do it because he still wanted answers and he hated to admit it but he still felt betrayed.

“I suppose I deserve that,” she whispered softly.

Tentatively she moved her shot glass forward across the bar.

“I’m going to the bathroom.”

Turning around he narrowed his gaze at her.

“Really,” she muttered.

He nodded and watched her move down the corridor.

He was about to ask for another shot when a familiar shape moved sharply into his vision. Heather had been eyeing Rogue and was following her into the bathroom.

“Of course,” he muttered as he frowned and pushed his way through the crowd as he followed.
‘Jealousy ain’t nothing but a poor woman’s crutch’ by noVa451
Leaning forward Rogue splashed some cold water on her face. Her shaking fingers reached for the tap but she was interrupted by a sudden nudge on her side.

Startled she stepped back as she acknowledged the person who’d bumped into her.

“Oh I’m sorry,” Heather spoke in a false voice. “Did I hit you?”

Rogue straightened up as she eyed the blonde and raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

“You really want to do this?” she asked with an amount of gleeful surprise. “You’re that insecure.”

Heather glared at her and stuck her hip out. “I know who you are.”

Rogue laughed a little. “What the hell is that suppose to mean?”

“It means your different then all the others.”

“Others? I’m sorry honey but I don’t know what you’re talking about and I don’t have time for this.”

“He’s different with you,” Heather snapped at her.

Rogue rolled her eyes. “This ain’t my problem. Not my fault he turned you down.”

“But it is,” Heather seethed. “I bet you wouldn’t even know what to do with a man like him, girlie.”

Rogue glared at her. “Right, because a man like him would only know how to fuck right,” she spoke, her voice raising a little. “I mean that’s all he’s good for, right? That’s what you’re saying? So some bimbo slut is exactly what he needs then? You don’t even know him.”

“Shut up!”

“Did I strike a nerve?” Rogue smiled even as she felt a little warmer then usual. “Why don’t you go find some other guy’s crotch to rub yourself on?”

“You think you’re so special,” Heather spat.

“No,” Rogue mumbled as she felt dizzy unexpectedly. “Even I make mistakes. Even I took him for granted.”

“I didn’t take him for granted,” Heather yelled as she stepped forward.

“You’re just a dime a dozen,” Rogue whispered back as she moved to walk around the other woman.

“You can’t talk to me that way.”

Heather reached for Rogue expecting to knock her down but Rogue stumbled forward and fell to her knees beside the sink before Heather even had a chance. She coughed once and then twice.

“Gross,” Heather yelled.

Retching forward Rogue coughed once more and felt the liquid spray forward out of her mouth and onto Heather’s pink halter top.

“Shit,” Heather screamed as her eyes widened at her shirt, her body automatically moving away from Rogue as she spotted the specks of blood on her shirt.

Stumbling back Heather held her hands up away from her ruined shirt and glanced at Rogue with wide eyes before running out the door.
‘The pain in my gut is just a scratch, to the pain in my heart’ by noVa451
“Oh!” Heather gasped as she stumbled out of the bathroom and was confronted by Logan.

“You change your mind?” she leered.

His nose twitched and his frown turned into a glare as he pulled at the hem of her shirt and brought her forward.

“I knew you couldn’t resist…”

She trailed off as she noticed his sudden attention to the fresh specks of red on her top. Suddenly, put off by the stillness to his body she moved to step back but he growled low and she froze as his eyes moved up and met hers.

“I swear I didn’t touch her, she just started…”

He shoved her aside and slammed through the bathroom door.

“Rogue?” he called out as he moved through the second door, the sound of rushing water in his ears.

“Rogue!” he demanded as he moved around the wall. “Shit!”

Moving quickly he was on his knees by her still body in a flash.

His fingers reached out and tilted her head towards him as she appeared unconscious. There was blood around her lips. His nose twitched and he followed the trail of blood towards the counter top and sink.

“Rogue,” he hissed as he tapped her pale cheeks lightly.

“Wake up damn it!”

Sighing, he reached up and turned the tap off as he listened to her steady heart beat.

“Marie,” he whispered as he caressed her cheek.

She moaned quietly and he leant back in relief. Slowly, her eyes opened. She blinked twice gradually before focusing on him.

“Logan?” her voice strained and groggy.

“Yeah.”

“What yah doin’ in the girls bathroom?”

“You tell me.”

Frowning at him she moved to sit up as he helped her stand.

“Found you unconscious on the floor, hacking up blood.”

“Oh,” she muttered a bit unfocused and met her reflection in the mirror. “Ew,” she remarked at the blood on her lips. Leaning forward she turned the tap on and rinsed her mouth out.

Ignoring Logan’s concerned gaze she reached into the sink and pulled something out.

“I guess that explains the stomach ache,” she commented as she threw something at him and made her way towards the door.

Catching the small shiny object in his palm he gazed in uncertainty at it. Holding it up in the light between his thumb and finger, he made out the bullet.

“I just hope that was the only one left,” she threw aside as she sauntered through the door.

“What the fuck….” Logan whispered and then frowned at the closing door.

Speeding through the door he caught up to Rogue as she slipped through a side exit.

“Rogue I’m getting real tired of chasing after you,” he yelled, mindful of the group of smokers standing in a group by the door.

Rogue twirled around. “Then why don’t you go back inside.”

“Look,” he snarled as he towered over her. “I have a million and fucking one questions I need answered from you but right now, after that fucking display I want to know what the fuck this is about!” he emphasized by holding the bullet up in her face.

“It’s a souvenir, don’t you like it?”

Scowling at her he grabbed her arm and yanked her closer.

“Is everything a god damn joke to you?”

“Let me go Logan,” she seethed.

“No,” he hissed back. “I’ve been moving around the country on next to no sleep in a van with three fucking strangers, been chased by a corpse, been shot at and I want some answers NOW!”

She pursed her lips at him. “Well you see Logan, it’s really quite simple, the answer’s right in front of you.”

“Stop with the games.”

“Use your head Logan; I know you’re not as dumb as you pretend to be.”

His hand tightened on her arm and she grimaced.

“How,” he spoke low. “Did you come back from the dead?”

“I’ve done it before.”

His expression was startled as he pulled back a little.

“Come on Logan, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten, all those years ago, atop of the Statue of Liberty where you played my knight in shining armour.”

“I’ve never forgotten,” he whispered back, his eyes stern.

She smiled a little.

“But I brought you back, I healed you.”

“What makes you think it was different this time?”

He shook his head slowly. “Stop it, Rogue. Stop messing with me. I wasn’t there when it happened this time. When…when I saw your body, you were dead, your skin was inactive, I never felt the pull.”

“Maybe you weren’t looking close enough.”

“Stop twisting your words. Just tell me the truth!”

“I did,” she yelled in his face. “Let me go, Logan!”

She yanked herself out of his grip and stepped back suddenly hysterical. One of the smokers yelped beside them as his whole cigarette flashed into one full flame.

“Shit,” he exclaimed as he threw it down and stomped on it. His drunken buddies laughed at him.

Distracted by the sudden outburst Logan moved his gaze back at Rogue who was looking at the group with an odd sense of alarm.

“Rogue,” Logan stepped forward but she turned and took off anxiously as she made her way across the parking lot towards the motel.

Catching up to her at the door he could smell a burst of fear on her. “What’s wrong?”

She whipped her head around and faced him with wide eyes.

“I just want to lie down, go to sleep. Is that okay with you?” she snapped.

He shrugged. “Don’t have the keys, do yah?”

Glowering at him she stepped into the light. “Do you always have to be so smug?”

Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the keys and dangled them in front of him.

“Fine,” Rogue fumed as she turned to leave.

“I’ll let you in Rogue.”

She watched him keenly as she turned back to the door.

“But I want you to know something.”

“Goody,” she spat.

“We don’t have time for you to string us along as you please. Whoever you pissed off when you were previously alive, are after you. And when they find out that you’re actually alive, I’m assuming they’ll be very interested. They’ve already gunned us down once just to get hold of your supposed dead body, to burn. Now if I’m to be shot at again, I want to know the fucking reason.”

Rogue remained quite as she blended into the shadows.

“It’s a government faction, isn’t it Rogue. Who did you piss off?”

When she didn’t answer he manoeuvred himself into the shadows beside her. “I got your package, Rogue,” he growled low.

He knew he had her attention as her head cocked to the side. “Did ya, now,” she whispered.

“How did you get a hold of my information?”

He pressed her further as he invaded her space and had her pinned against the door.

“Is this about me, Rogue? Did you get yourself mixed up in my past? Is that why the government is…”

“Oh yes, Logan,” she suddenly arched forward in his face and yelled sarcastically. “Everything’s always about you isn’t it!”

She was shaking as he stared at her in mild shock at her blow up. She snatched the keys from his hands surprisingly quick and proceeded to jam them in the door.

Yanking the door opening she turned and glared at him.

“Why are you even here, Logan!?”

Before he could answer she slammed the door in his face, once again cutting him off.
‘Prick the needle, watch me spin’ by noVa451
Lying still on his back, Logan kept his eyes closed as he listened to everyone else sleep around him. After Rogue had slammed the door in his face, he’d been too tired to try anything again with her. Standing outside he’d finished his cigar and mulled over the very reasons as to why he was still here, why he was still bothering to try and get through to her. He’d cursed whatever power it was that had caused their lives to be entwined but only half-heartedly. Eventually the other three had made their way back to the room. Jaime more or less drunk, a surprisingly buzzed Wanda and a glaring sober Pietro who’d immediately jumped on him about Rogue’s whereabouts.

Now he laid feigning sleep as he listened to three relaxed heartbeats and one that was becoming increasingly erratic. He’d been expecting it. Rogue had experienced a very shocking trauma, and he knew despite her objections she was going to reach a breaking point. Sleep never came easy to them anyways. The only time he ever found such peace was in sharing a bed with her, he knew it had been the same for her, he wondered if it had changed over the years. His question was answered for him when Rogue bolted up from the bed beside him, gasping for breath.

She whimpered quietly as she tried to stifle any sound she was making. He sensed her moving off the bed with shaking legs as she stumbled around the room towards the bathroom. Jaime still snored on and both Wanda and Pietro remained oblivious. In the past Logan would have been at her side to calm her down immediately but that time was long ago.

Rolling over he placed his back towards the bathroom and told himself he was going to go to sleep. After five minutes of Rogue still being in the bathroom he knew he was being unrealistic. Sitting up, he stared at the door and counted another five minutes. His body was itching as he picked up on the bundle of nerves behind the door, the sweat and nervousness that Rogue was putting out.

Gritting his teeth, he stood up and made his way towards the door. Not bothering to knock he opened the door and shut it quietly behind him.

“Couldn’t you have waited?” she spoke, her voice extremely shaky.

She was sitting on the edge of the tub, her hair plastered with sweat as she cradled her head with shaking hands. Her legs appeared to be convulsing on their own.

She had yet to look up at him.

There was a sudden creaking noise coming from the tub that sounded like the pipes were expanding. Abruptly, he found himself being pulled forward by an invisible hand as he landed on his knees beside her.

“You really, really shouldn’t be in here right now, Logan,” she whispered.

“What the hell was that?”

Suddenly, he felt his entire body go stiff, the metal in his bones humming with new life.

“Rogue…” he whispered, as he gasped at the sudden pressure.

She wouldn’t look at him as her white bangs covered her face.

“Marie…” he added desperately.

“I’m sorry,” she gasped. “I can’t control it.”

His eyes widen as he realized she was exhibiting Magneto’s power.

Pushing forward, her hand shot out and he felt the metal in his bones respond as his back came in contact with the counter top. With a little more space between them he felt the magnetic pull on his body ease.

Taking a deep breath he gazed at Rogue in shock. Sensing his stare she finally looked up at him, her eyes bloodshot but very much livid with unease. Wrapping her arms around herself she tried to stop the shaking.

“I need it, Logan,” she whispered quietly her head down again.

Glancing up she focused her stare on his top jacket pocket where she knew the drugs where.

“Give it to me,” she spoke clearer, her voice a little demanding.

Staring at her in shock his own hand grazed his pocket.

“How many?” he asked. “How many powers can you…”

“Everyone I’ve ever touched, depending on the length of time.”

“Shit.”

Tilting her head up at him, she raised one eyebrow even as her teeth chattered.

Tentatively, he moved forward and sat on the closed toilet seat. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the black pouch. The way her eyes suddenly lit up did not go unnoticed. “So this helps you control all the other powers,” he whispered in slight awe.

She nodded. “It helps for a bit.”

“Otherwise,” he turned and faced her.

“They over power me.”

He nodded slowly turning his head away as he took a moment. “You heal,” he spoke. “My power is in you.”

She nodded slowly. “It’s not as strong as yours, not as fast as the way you heal. Guess that explains the waking up in the coffin five days later. I didn’t know it was capable of doing that.”

Leaning forward he touched her knee and ignored the fact she jumped slightly; however, she didn’t turn away.

“Marie, you need to see a doctor.”

She scoffed. “I am.”

Her eyes darted back and forth for a second. “I mean I was.”

“Who?” he asked with a frown. “Not someone in the government, please tell me you didn’t…”

“Hank,” she interrupted. “I was seeing Hank.”

“What?” he sat back in surprise.

“I contacted him a few months ago and he took me on as a patient of his.”

“He never mentioned it,” Logan breathed through clenched teeth.

“You know he was working in Washington at the time, why would he have contacted you and…”

“Because I’m he’s friend damnit and because your m….” he blurted out as he stood up. “He should have known to tell me and…”

“Logan,” she remarked. “There was no reason to. Patient and doctor confidentiality.”

Breathing deeply he clenched and unclenched his fists.

“Bullshit,” he snapped and moved forward again. “Well what did the blue furball figure out, cause it sure as hell doesn’t look like he did a good enough job.”

Leaning back from his sudden verbal onslaught she spoke quietly in response. “I started to notice changes around…around the spring time,” she paused to look up at him from under her eye lashes.

“What kind of changes?”

She shifted nervously on the edge of the tub, suddenly unusually shy.

“Umm, you know certain urges,” she implored him with her eyes, as though he already knew the answer she didn’t want to voice.

She shook her head when she realized she was going to have to say it out loud.

“The urge to mate and to breed,” she spoke quickly.

“Oh.” Frowning, his smile turned sarcastic as he opened his mouth.

“And before you say anything, yes it was different from usual stuff. I don’t mean I was a slut. I mean it was biological. It was…” she paused and smirked at him. “Very Wolverine like.”

A little put off he sat back down on the toilet across from her.

“What are you saying, I gave you the urge to mate, the me in your head?”

She sighed. “Something like that.”

“What else?”

“I noticed my senses were becoming keener. It was all mild in comparison to your powers, but it was there, I could feel it almost growing inside me and I didn’t understand why, I’ve never been able to hold on to other mutant powers for a long period of time.”

“What happened next?”

“I was freaked out,” she threw at him and he felt his body stiffen again. Looking at the ground she murmured,

“Sorry.”

“I guess since you were the longest and the most frequent one I touched with my gift, I exhibited your powers first and more strongly and then it was Magneto and then it was Bobby and John and a few others here and there with some added strength or some thing.”

A large convulsion moved through her body abruptly and he caught her before she fell off the tub. Gasping in his arms she continued on, “I had to contact Hank, I couldn’t contact the X-Men, knowing, knowing….anyways, I would make visits to him and he’d conduct tests. He concluded it was a flare in my mutation; that my power was growing. That perhaps when I learned to control my skin I released some kind of slow building floodgate on the possibilities of my gift.”

“It didn’t matter what the cause was though, because I needed something fast to help me control it. The powers would flare up randomly and I had no time to be able to work out how and how to gain control over each gift. Hank knew of a certain drug on the black market that was specifically used for mutants, it was sort of a 24 hour cure. He got a hold of it and took the basic fundamentals of it and created a more refined drug. In no ways meant to be a cure, but something that could lower the wattage of my powers so to speak.”

Nodding slowly, he held her in his arms as he listened to her. “So the trips away from Wanda and them, the phone calls, the drugs it was all because of this.”

She shook slightly. “Yes,” she hissed.

Unconsciously, he found himself stroking her hair as he tried to calm her down.

“Are you going to make me beg for it?” she whispered.

Cradling her close to his more solid form she was quiet again.

“What if something else is in this particular drug you bought?” he asked quietly.

“I don’t care.”

He tensed.

“There’s not much of an option,” she shook again as she rested her head under his chin. “I’m a ticking time bomb.”

“Logan…”

“I will,” he answered before she could continue, his hands moving down her body to stroke her arms. She sunk against him in relief.

Sitting back a bit he opened the pouch, took out one green vial and opened the package that held the syringe.

The taps on the tub and sink creaked suddenly. “Hurry,” she whispered.

Draining the vial he didn’t have to ask as she placed her arm in his lap.

“I don’t like this,” he muttered.

“I know,” she replied softly.

Holding her arm still he injected the needle into her vein and pushed the plunger down. He watched in apprehension as the green liquid disappeared.

Rogue suddenly fell against him as she gasped in what he thought was pain at first until she moaned very low and he could feel her body become lax as the high took effect. She hummed a little as her eyes fluttered closed and she used his chest for leverage. The noises she was making wasn’t helping his reaction as she arched a little against him, he could feel the slight hum to the metal in his bones disappear but it was replaced with a new kind of tension as his pants tightened. She stopped writhing in his arms and he breathed a huge sigh of relief. Her warm hands reached up and grasped his shoulders, her lips resting on his bare neck as she breathed, “Thank you.”

She tilted her head back and he looked down at her, surprised by the lazy smile on her face, a smile she was directing at him. Finding himself amused he smiled back at her.

“You alright?”

She nodded as her smile beamed at him.

“How long you gunna be like this?” he asked, the surprised amusement coming across in his voice.

She shrugged. Slowly, her eyes closed and she seemed content to have him hold her. Despite the fucked up circumstances, Logan himself couldn’t believe that in a long time he too felt content for a moment in the world as he held her.
‘A fresh day with stale problems’ by noVa451
Absently, Logan ran his fingers through Rogue’s hair as she slept. When he’d carried her out of the bathroom, he was intent on putting her back on the bed, but during their absence Wanda had sprawled herself across the entire bed and Logan did not want to have to wake her up and then deal with the ambush of questions.

So now he sat on the couch with Rogue lying across it with her head resting on his thigh as she finally appeared at peace as the sun started to rise in the distance. He hated how easily it still came to him, to take care of her despite the anger he felt towards her. He waited for the Wolverine to call him a pushover but it never came, the animal in him appeared content to have that which he considered his mate back in his possession but he could sense him simmering at the edge of his mind with a large amount of pent up energy he was straining to push back. The beast in him wanted her but he also knew that both the man and the animal were in agreement that something was to be done about her betrayal.

He was broken out of his thought process as Rogue sighed lightly, her forehead burrowing against his thigh. It was suddenly becoming an uncomfortable position as she moved against him. Cradling her head he prepared to move her when her eyes slowly opened and focused on him. There was a calmness in her gaze that hadn’t been there before.

“Feel better?” he murmured.

She nodded slowly. “Yes, thank you.”

“Good.”

Suddenly, he pushed her up so she was sitting on the couch and he stood up. She was thrown off by his abrupt actions but remained sitting.

“Since you’re feeling better, and I gave you something, it’s time you gave me answers in return.”

Slowly, she raised her head towards him, her eyes clouding over as she steeled her gaze, the mask of Rogue flashing across her face as she closed off her emotions sensing the sudden territory they were getting in.

“I see,” she remarked coolly.

Logan eyed the rest of the still sleeping occupants in the room.

“Not here.” Reaching over one of the chairs he slid his jacket on.

“Meet me at the diner down the road and leave a note for them,” he spoke over his shoulder as he opened the door.

“You’re not going to watch over me?” she asked in surprise.

“You’re not gunna run now, Rogue, not when I still have the other vial,” he answered with a feral look as he knew he had her trapped.

“Besides you should eat something with that drug running through your system.”

He closed the door before he could hear any attempts at a response.




Rogue spotted Logan reading one of the menus in the corner of the small restaurant.

“So what is this blackmail?” she asked as she sat in the seat across from him.

When he didn’t say anything she huffed in her seat and glanced around the room. Logan didn’t put the menu down until one of the older waitresses came over.

“What can I get ya?”

“I’ll take a number one with coffee,” he replied.

The woman scratched his order across her pad.

“And you miss?”

“A coffee,” Rogue replied.

Logan raised an eyebrow at her.

Sighing, she reached over for the menu and quickly browsed through it. “I’ll have a number three, thanks.”

The women nodded and walked away.

“How long?” Logan grunted.

Rogue stared at him in confusion. “How long what?”

“How long until you’ll need another dose?”

Leaning back, she rubbed the back of her neck self-consciously. “I don’t know. Maybe, a day, a week. It depends if anything triggers it. Before – well before I always had a well stocked supply, it didn’t matter so much.”

“And you were content to be dependent on it like that?”

“No, I wasn’t content, Logan,” she clenched her teeth.

The waitress suddenly came over and filled their cups with coffee with a lacklustre smile.

Logan reached down and picked his cup up as he glanced out the window.

“What can trigger it?”

She sighed as she leant forward and picked her coffee up.

“Heightened emotions and stress.”

Logan snorted and Rogue glared at him.

“What?”

“Seems to me two vials is definitely not going to be enough.”

Glaring at him she whispered through her teeth. “Fuck you.”

His eyes steeled at her words. “How far along was Hank in his research?”

“At last contact he said he was close to creating a serum that could help slow down the change to my mutation, where gradually I’d be able to adapt to each knew gift one at a time. A serum I could take at longer intervals that eventually and ideally would at one point no longer be needed.”

Playing with the handle of her cup of coffee she glanced at the table. “But seeing as how that was a few months ago and I haven’t been there for the tests I have no idea of its advancement.”

“You don’t think Hank has wondered why you may have disappeared off of the face of the earth?”

Rogue was quiet as she fiddled with the cup.

“No,” she whispered.

“No?” he echoed in disbelief.

“In the months leading up to my,” she hesitated. “My death, I wasn’t very reliable.”

She glanced up waiting for his retort but he was silent.

“But I suppose that could be said for some time before that.”

He was still quiet but his focus was on her.

“My behaviour was erratic and Hank said it was to be expected due to the changes brought on by my mutation. I was very discreet about our meetings and I was very discreet with Hank about particular events in my life. He wasn’t happy with my difficulties in fully co-operating but he told me despite everything he held a lot on our past ties and I believe he hoped if he was successful with me he’d magically fix me somehow, fix the problems with all of us and are relations with one another. I told him he was naïve. I told him not to have so much faith in me and well if sometimes I didn’t make a visit, he never spoke of it, he was always just relieved if I showed up the next time.”

For some reason an amount of bitterness tainted her words.

She watched Logan for a response and she hated how sometimes he could just be wall in a conversation, that he knew how to put even her on uneven ground with his silence.

“Hank always was optimist,” he spoke.

A sharp laugh escaped her in disbelief, a smile on her face but unshed tears in her eyes.

The waitress swept in suddenly with their plates and a refill on their coffees. Logan immediately began to eat his eggs and sausages. Slowly, she picked up her own fork and dug into her scrambled eggs around her side of toast.
They ate in silence for a few moments until Logan spoke again, his eyes still on his food.

“Tell me why the government is after you?”

Swallowing her last mouthful of eggs hard she eyed him from across the table.

“Last I checked the government wasn’t after me, the MRA act hasn’t been passed.”

He threw his fork down on his plate and narrowed his gaze on her.

“Stop mouthing off,” he snapped.

She raised her right eyebrow up at him in a familiar gesture.

“Fine,” he remarked. “Maybe the government, the government the public knows about isn’t after you, but someone with a lot of money, resources and man power is after you and frankly after running into them and being shot at, I’d like to know why.”

His dark eyes bore into her. “Is it because of your powers?”

“No,” she responded. “They – no one but Hank knew. Believe me these people have a lot of other stuff to occupy themselves with and I know how important it is to keep this development to my powers quiet.”

“So who are these people?”

Leaning forward she lowered her voice. “A private faction that is funded in parts by the government; dealing with the testing of mutants and what ever they please. But if you asked anyone about it they’d say it didn’t exist. Most of the government don’t even understand what they’re funding.”

“How the hell did you become involved with this, Rogue?” he demanded in disbelief. “Didn’t you have enough going on!”

“It wasn’t that simple.”

“It never is,” he retorted. “So what did you do to piss them off? The mutant woman, who was in charge of the group that came after us, said that her boss wanted to make sure his secrets stayed buried.”

“Mutant woman?”

“Yeah, dark short black hair, snake-like skin, sound familiar?”

“No,” she replied honestly.

“What about lots of men in black fatigues and guns?” he added sarcastically.

“Well, yah,” she responded despite his sarcasm. “One of them was probably who assassinated me.”

Logan’s smirk left his face immediately.

“A sniper from the roof, simple as that.”

“Rogue…” he began in a low whisper.

Gazing up at him she plastered a fake smile on her face.

“Doesn’t matter now.”

Logan’s fist clenched on top of the table. “The hell it does, Rogue,” he added with emotion. “It was cowardly but it’s not going to stop them, once they find out you’re alive…..you need help. Tell me what you know, so I can help you.”

“Why?” she asked quietly. “Why would you want to help me?”

“Damn it, Marie,” he whispered as he leant back. Shaking his head he looked away from her for a moment. “I don’t know…”

Rogue moved away a little.

“Let’s just go with past ties,” he murmured.

“Do you hate me?”

Moving his gaze back to her, he was surprised to see the sudden fragility in her gaze.

“I don’t know,” he replied honestly.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if you did,” she whispered.

Sighing, he leant forward across the table. “Right now, it doesn’t matter about that; it doesn’t matter when your life is on the line. I still made a promise long ago, before any of that shit that I would protect you.”

Rogue smiled tightly at him.

“I took something from one of their facilities,” she spoke suddenly.

“What?”

“I stole something important from The Director of the organization,” she answered, her eyes watching him keenly for some kind of response but he wasn’t sure what kind because he’s next obvious question was, “What did you take?”

“A weapon.”

“Jesus Christ, Marie, when did you become an arms dealer?”

“Look, Logan,” she started sternly. “It was weapon to be used against our kind and I couldn’t let it fall into the wrong hands.”

“So you decided all on your own to become a one-man mission. You could have contacted the X-Men.”

“No.”

“Logan,” she stressed. “It was important that it remained a protected secret.”

“At the cost of your life?!” he responded as his voice rose. “Did you forget you died because of this?”

“That was an unforeseen misfortune,” she replied coolly.

“Are you listening to yourself?”

Running a hand through his hair he took a deep breath before speaking again. “How did you even find out about it in the first place?”

“I accidentally touched a soldier who worked for the company and found the information in his memories.”

“Right,” he snorted. “Accidentally? You happened to run into a soldier and your power switched on.”

“I didn’t know he was a soldier, they do have other lives, he wasn’t dressed in fatigues, it was by chance, my powers were erratic.”

Her scent was fluctuating but he ignored it as her emotions were flaring up.

“Calm down, Rogue,” he instructed. “We don’t want a relapse until we get in contact with Hank.”

Glowering at him, she sat back in her chair.

“So what were you doing in Detroit then? It have something to do with this weapon, what did you do with it afterwards?”

“I was relocating it.”

“Not all your absences from your friends then were trips to Hank.”

“No,” she shook her head. “They were not.”

His lips thinned. “It’s pretty damn clear, you weren’t thinking straight at all.”

“You have no idea…”

“Tell me then. This weapon better be important enough. Risking your life like that,” he shook his head. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“I was thinking maybe for once I shouldn’t be such a selfish bitch,” she threw back in his face. Getting up she spotted Wanda, Pietro and Jaime outside the window.

“You’re going to have to tell your friends,” Logan responded steadily.

Ignoring his suddenly detached demeanour as he glanced at the paper on their table, she turned around and headed for the door in a huff.



“Rogue,” Jaime called out at her as she passed by them.

“Hey,” she murmured and kept walking.

“Wait,” Wanda suddenly spoke as she ran to catch up to Rogue and grabbed her shoulder.

“What?” Rogue snapped.

Wanda eyed her. “We need to talk.”

Sighing, Rogue’s shoulder’s sunk as she blocked her hostility towards the other woman.

“I know,” she responded and glanced at her friend with a small smile. “We will, can you just, just give me a moment.”

Wanda’s eyes narrowed and Rogue forced her smile to appear more easily. “Go have some breakfast and then will talk.”

Wanda didn’t budge but she did glance at the diner.

“I hear their waffles are really good and I know how much you like…”

“Stop it, Rogue,” Wanda interrupted. “I’m not blind you know, I know this isn’t easy for you but…”

“I know,” Rogue interjected with a guilty smile. “You deserve better, Wanda.”

“Good,” Wanda replied. “I’m glad you know that.”

Slowly a small smile found its way onto Wanda’s face.

“After breakfast though.”

Rogue nodded.

Wearily, Wanda threw her another small smile and made her way into the diner.

Rogue sighed as the tension built up in her shoulders again. She felt like she was trapped between a rock and more then one hard place as she glanced through the window at her friends and Logan.
‘Touch my body, ignite this fire’ by noVa451
Reaching the door to the motel room Rogue was thankful to finally have a moment alone; she needed to get her head straight, figure out how to break everything to her friends. She was surprised they had thought to contact Logan but she was even more surprised that he had accepted and was still around; it was throwing everything off balance for her. Logan and the Wolverine didn’t do betrayal, once you’d betrayed that trust you were categorized in a whole other way. She had no idea what category she was supposed to be in now.

Turning the handle she entered the quiet room. She was half way across the room when she sensed something behind her; a certain unusual scent was filtering into the room.

“Turn around slowly,” the unknown woman’s voice instructed.

Silently berating herself for being distracted Rogue turned around slowly to face the woman. Her eyes widened as she spotted the black hair and snake-like skin that wasn’t covered by a long black coat.

“Well this is certainly a surprise,” the woman smiled as she steadily held a gun on Rogue and moved from out of the bathroom. “Aren’t you supposed to be lying dead in a coffin?”

“That be mighty uncomfortable don’t ya think, seein as how I’m alive.”

“Which is a mistake on your part,” the woman smirked back. “Being alive means you’ve complicated things so much more for yourself.”

“Who are you?” Rogue asked steadily as she kept her eyes trained on the other woman.

“The names Stacy X and I believe I work for a man you may know of, The Director.”

“Haven’t met the guy,” Rogue shrugged a little.

Stacy X smiled. “No you may not have met him but you certainly caught his attention by stealing something very important from him.”

“Oh that,” Rogue replied off- hand but her eyes remained hard.

“I’m not exactly sure what you took and frankly I don’t give a flying fuck. My job was to dispose of your body, keep his secrets buried. But now that you’re alive, breathing and no doubt talking I’m going to have to take you in.”

“You mean you aren’t going to kill me?”

“Oh that’s still an option but apparently that didn’t work the first time and since I actually have my hands on you, you’ll be coming with me as long as you co-operate because I’m sure my boss would like to question you but...” she paused slyly and smirked. “My original mission was to dispose of your body so that can still be arranged if you step out of line.”

Slowly Rogue raised her eyebrows at the woman. “I see,” she spoke calmly. “Aren’t you the least bit curious how I’m alive?”

“Not even the tiniest bit,” Stacy slithered her tongue through her teeth.

Rogue quirked her head at that.

Stacy chuckled lightly. “I’m not here to care about you or your friends or even what you took from my boss, that wasn’t my assignment. But bringing you in could be beneficial to me.”

Rogue took a small step forward and Stacy cocked her gun.

“I’m serious,” she levelled.

“Gotcha, you’re not against discriminating with that gun,” Rogue replied.

Stacy X tilted her head. “You have sass,” she observed. “A pity. You should have stayed dead, for where you had sass still with you when you died the first time, once he’s through with you, you’ll have none left.”

Rogue was about to reply when they were interrupted by the door opening. Logan walked through, the expression on his face dramatically changing as he sensed the other woman, his claws out as he stood by the door in between Rogue and Stacy X.

“Ah the smartass from before with the long legs,” Stacy X spoke. “Would you kindly shut the door?”

Logan glared at her, his body tense as he eyed the gun trained on Rogue.

“Logan,” Rogue spoke up, his eyes flickered towards her. “There is a bit of a draft, why don’t you shut the door.”

Without turning his back he kicked the door shut behind him.

Stacy X tilted her head at Rogue. “Go on,” she directed at Logan. “Stand by your friend.”

Looking like he was about to object he observed the tension in Rogue’s body and figured he should co-operate as long as the gun was trained on her.

Standing beside Rogue he slowly felt his claws recede.
Stacy X’s nose noticeably twitched as she stepped closer, always with the gun in front of her.

“My, my, this is going to be too easy,” she smirked as her gaze moved between them.

Taking a deep breath her smile grew. “I’m hardly even going to give you a push at all.”

“A push?” Rogue asked.

Stacy X gaze fell on Logan. “Your restraint is admirable.”

“What she talking about?” Rogue whispered.

“I don’t know,” Logan replied.

Shivering suddenly like she had chills Stacy X slithered her tongue between her teeth. “You see I’m going to walk out here in a minute, walk all the way to my car, get a certain device that will make you much more agreeable Rogue and the whole time you two are going to stay here, right here in this room and I won’t even have to keep an eye on you.”

Logan snorted. “Whatever, you say lady, but have you heard how delusional you sound?”

Stacy X body slithered closer towards them. “I’m not the one being delusional.”

She sniffed again. “Intoxicating,” she murmured.

Rogue’s nose turned up. “I’m more than a little weirded out and I’m going to have to go with Logan on you being delusional.”

“Do you have any idea the amount of pheromones that are jumping around in this room, just because of the two of you?” she responded bypassing Rogue.

“Pheromones...” Rogue started but trailed off when Stacy X suddenly grabbed her bare wrist and Logan’s as well.

The other mutant’s touched burned her skin and caused her to cry out lightly until the sound caught in her throat and she found her knees buckling slightly. She felt warm suddenly and her head swam abruptly with a dizziness that made her feel light headed.

Logan grunted beside her.

Stacy X stepped away from them but Rogue wasn’t really focused on her as she tried to concentrate.

“I’ll be right back,” she heard an amused Stacy X speak.

“Not that you’ll be going anywhere.”

“What?” Rogue gasped but she stuttered as she could suddenly feel the intense warmth Logan was giving off beside her and he smelled so inviting as well.

She moaned slightly as she felt his scorching touch on her arm and she turned around to face him just as he growled low and his lips were suddenly on hers in a very demanding kiss.

“Mmmpfff,” she mumbled against his lips, caught off guard as his force propelled her to fall back against the wall.
He growled again as he urged her to open her mouth. She spotted Stacy X leaving through the hotel door and for a moment she caught view of the outside world, but she didn’t care. Her world had suddenly been narrowed down to the man on top of her as his body sang to her. He smelled delicious and the scent of their building arousal tipped her over the edge. She felt like she was on fire, her very nerves sparking below her skin. Opening her mouth she pulled him closer and wrapped her arms around his strong shoulders, her palms skimming across the warm leather.

Grinding his crotch into hers she gasped out loud and felt her eyes briefly roll up into the back of her head. It was too much, but she wanted more. There was too much space between them. The need, the urge to be closer was all she had to focus on. Roughly she pulled his jacket off his shoulders and he manoeuvred his arms out of it never stopping from kissing her.

The whiskers of his stubble rubbed against her cheeks and then her neck as he moved down and inhaled her scent, a warm purr moving up his body and into her. Her bit her shoulder and she cried out, her body arching up off the wall as her hips melded with his. His touch was rough and possessive as he moved from her breasts to the top of her jeans. Quickly, he flicked open the top button of her pants. Wanting the feel of his lips on hers again she wrapped her arms around his neck, her hands running through his hair. The nerves under her skin felt on fire as she responded eagerly to their rapid responses and wrapped her legs around his waist she leant against the wall for support and rubbed herself against the very hard and impressive bulge in his pants.

The use of words had escaped them as she became lost to her senses and every single one of her impulses told her one thing, she wanted Logan.

“Oh,” she gasped breathless as he bucked against her and the back of her head hit the wall. His lips were back on hers in a heated kiss before she could moan in approval.
Burying her head in his neck, she inhaled his scent and licked his skin that was building a light sheen of sweat. He growled in appreciation and she followed the trail up to his ear where she bit his ear lobe teasingly. Eagerly her hand moved down to graze the strong muscles of his chest and stomach that were contracting under her touch.

“More,” he grunted, barely audible, the word concealed behind a growl. She couldn’t agree further.

From her line of sight she spotted the door opening and Stacy X walking back through with a smug look on her face, but it didn’t register in her hazy mind. Only Logan was important.

“My you two work fast,” she exclaimed. Rogue frowned and tried to make sense of the scenario before her but Logan growled again, sensing her distraction and he slammed his hips against her again and she could feel that she was close.

Stacy X pulled a small sliver object out of her jacket and walked closer. “And here you two were disbelieving about how this would all work out.”

“Lust can be very overpowering,” she slithered. “But then again I hardly had to give the Love potion number nine on you two, just a brief touch to enhance your pheromones and stamina and boom, it was like setting off a volcano.”

“Sometimes,” she began more to herself as she muttered over the moans in the room. “I think I should have just gone into the porn business.”

Moving to stand beside Rogue, she wore a very blank face as both Logan and Rogue’s bodies were writhing against one another.

“Now, Rogue this will hurt for a moment,” she began. “Not that you should notice much, but I should tell you that the chip is permanent and once I inject it, you’ll be property under my control.”

Rogue’s mind swam as she was vaguely aware of movement beside her. In her haze, she was confused when suddenly a green blur slammed through the door.

There was a loud crash against the far wall as Pietro slammed into the surprised Stacy X and she went flying across the room, her body lying in a heap unconscious on the ground.

“What the…” Jaime began as he ran into the room his eyes wide as he took in Rogue and Logan, who had yet to acknowledge them.

“For fuck sakes,” Wanda yelled. Noticing the lack of attention on Rogue and Logan’s part she picked up the ice bucket that was half melted and preceded to launch it at the couple, effectively soaking them.

Rogue shrieked at the freezing water filled with ice chunks and pushed herself off of Logan, who dropped her and spun around with a furious animalistic stare. His body huffed deeply, his stance hunched over as his hands clenched and unclenched. His eyes glanced at Rogue who was breathing deeply against the wall, but was staring in shock as the water drenched all over her, then towards the unconscious Stacy X.

Snarling, he lurched forward and moved between a shocked Wanda and Jaime and burst through the doorway, disappearing outside.

Pietro was silent as he stood over the unconscious Stacy X and glared at Rogue.

Rogue spurted slightly as her breathing became more relaxed and she tried to get her senses to focus after being shocked by the water.

“Rogue,” Wanda began imposingly.

Rogue glanced up at her in surprise.

“You with us?”

Rogue nodded slowly in an awakening daze.

Wanda frowned and glanced at her brother.

“What should we do about her?”

Pietro didn’t answer as he moved forward in observation of Stacy X.

“Don’t touch her,” Rogue blurted out hurriedly. “Don’t touch her skin…it changes…you.”

Wanda raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps that explains what we just walked into.”

Pietro snorted.

“Really, Pietro I don’t think Rogue would have willing been preoccupied like that in face of danger.”

“She’s too dangerous to hold,” Rogue muttered.

“She’s right,” Wanda began. “We don’t know the extent to what she can do, if we try to take her captive she might just be able to manipulate the situation to her advantage.”

“So what then, we’re just gunna keep running?” Pietro began but before anyone could respond he stalked over to Rogue and towered over her. “No, I don’t think so. It’s time to talk Rogue and you no longer have a choice in the matter.” Turning around abruptly he stalked out the door, his body stiff with anger.

“Let’s go Rogue,” Wanda directed at the still frazzled Rogue.

“I’m coming,” she muttered distractedly as she followed Wanda.

“Really? Cause from the looks of it you guys hadn’t gotten that far yet,” Jaime interjected with a smirk.

Rogue composed herself enough too whack him across the back of the head with her hand as she left.

“What?” Jaime grinned after them.
‘Shift the gears and we’re on our way to drive’ by noVa451
“Jaime, get in the damn van,” Pietro snapped as he slid the door open. “We’re moving.”

“Rogue you’re in front with me,” Wanda instructed as she moved around towards the driver’s side.

“Where’s Logan?” Jaime asked, but no one answered him. Sighing, he moved forward a few feet and glanced around the side of the building.

“Oh….” he trailed off.

A very pissed off Wolverine walked by him, hitting him in the shoulder and continued moving forward with a grunt. He then proceeded to open the back of the van and crawled inside.

A little dazed, Jaime turned back around to face what had caused his surprise. Just at the edge of the forest line, one trunk of a tree lay in splinters after being hacked to bits.

“R.I.P tree,” he muttered and turned back to the van with a shrug. “Sheesh, I need a vacation.”

Getting in the van beside Pietro, everyone was very aware not to speak to the suddenly very quite and more then usual tense Wolverine in the back of the van.



It was after a half and hour of silence and several different turns and twists along the roads taking them away from where they had just been that someone spoke.

“Talk Rogue,” Wanda voiced bluntly.

“What do you want to know?” Rogue answered quietly, her eyes focused outside the window.

Wanda snorted.

“How about the fact that you just woke up from the dead, have since then ignored us and spent your time fucking him!” Pietro yelled suddenly from the back seat.

Jaime was quickly aware of the fact that behind him the air appeared to go still if it was even possible, but Logan remained quite.

“Pietro!” Wanda hissed in annoyance. Pietro glared at his sister but sat back in his seat nonetheless.

“He’s right though, Rogue,” Wanda began. “What is going on? Who was that woman back there?”

“I don’t know who she is,” Rogue answered. “I just met her but her powers were overwhelming and very strong.”

“You could say that again,” Jaime added.

“What was she trying to do while…” Wanda cleared her throat. “While she was keeping you occupied?”

Rogue was quiet for a moment.

“Rogue…”

“I’m thinking, okay, it’s a bit fuzzy.”

“She wanted to take me back to her boss and I think she was going to put some kind of device in me so I’d have no room for argument.”

“Next question would be,” Pietro began steadily, his voice cool. “Why does her boss want you? The next one being, what did you do?”

Rogue sighed. “I found some information a few months ago about a faction in the government that was funding experiments on…certain…weapons to be used against mutants and I stole and destroyed one of them. I ruined years of their destructive work.”

Jaime whistled low from the back.

“You risked your life to destroy some new kind of warfare, like some kind of secret agent?” he added in shock.

“There are things far worse than you can imagine up their sleeves,” Rogue whispered with her eyes ahead on the road.

“Are you out of your fucking mind!?” Wanda snapped.

“I think you mean, ‘was’ I out of my fucking mind,” Rogue retorted.

Wanda stepped on the breaks suddenly and pulled the van over on the side of the road. Everyone jerked forward in their seats.

Wanda’s expression was seething as she turned to regard Rogue.

“Why the hell didn’t you think to include any of us in this?!”

“It was imperative that certain things remained unknown,” Rogue answered calmly.

“From who?” Wanda snapped. “From your own friends, mutant friends!” she stressed.

“Look,” Rogue began as her voice carried a sudden edge. “I appreciate your concern and everything you’ve done but this really doesn’t have to nor does it involve any of you. I need to handle this on my own, and if you don’t like that then fine, but there’s no need for you to all be in danger because of something I did.”

As she finished, she opened the van door and got out and started to walk away.

“That selfish bitch!” Wanda screamed and proceeded to open her own door and then slammed it shut.

“Cat fight,” Jaime observed from inside of the van.

“Jaime,” Pietro began.

“Yes.”

“Shut up,” Logan finished for the other man.

Jaime shrugged and got outside of the van on his side, aware of both Logan and Pietro doing the same.

“Rogue,” Wanda yelled after her retreating form.

“Wanda,” Rogue spun around suddenly. “You can’t be a part of this.”

Wanda’s eyes widened in surprised anger. “Can’t be a part of this,” she mocked. “Can’t be a part of what exactly? Can’t be a part of noticing the fact that you disappear? Can’t be a part of the fact that I find your dead body? Can’t be a part of the fact that I have to save your dead ass from my father’s own purposes? Can’t be a part of the fact that I had to go and get involved in whatever self-pitying romance you have with the one man on earth who would be willing to do what we needed despite everything? Can’t be a part of the fact that we’ve been shot at and chased cause of you? And now suddenly you’re alive again and you somehow think we’re not a part of this?” she gasped in disbelief. “Being your god damn friend in the first place is what got me here and right now as your friend, I’m telling you, you are an idiot!”

Rogue stood in silence as she watched Wanda’s tirade with wide eyes. It took a moment, as Wanda’s chest heaved slightly as she caught her breath but Rogue’s face suddenly split into a grin that she couldn’t hide. Her eyes even sparkled a bit.

“What?” Wanda questioned, a bit concerned by the reaction.

Rogue shook her head slightly. “I’ve just missed you, that’s all.”

Wanda opened her mouth once and then shut it again, a small smile building on her face. “So you agree then on the idiot part?”

“Here and there,” Rogue threw back.

“You going to stop being an idiot and let us all work through this together?”

Rogue’s gaze fell. “Only if that’s what you wish to do, remember I’m not asking…”

“Oh, shut up,” Wanda filled in.

Rogue smirked in response.

“Back in the van then ladies,” Jaime spoke up from behind them.

“No,” Logan’s dark voice carried between them.

“No?” Jaime turned around in confusion.

Logan’s dark gaze fell on Rogue and she fidgeted.

“Tell them about your powers? About how you came back,” he commanded in a low voice.

Rogue eyed him for a moment as they held each other’s gazes in a sign of silent communication before Rogue looked away.

“I can heal,” she muttered.

“I’m just going to use the obligatory, ‘what the fuck?’ here,” Jaime spoke as he raised his hand.

Rogue sighed and glanced at the ground before facing them again.

“My mutation for some reason or another has grown and is able to hold on to powers, kind of like a reserved battery source and my body has adapted to Logan’s own ability to heal but at a much slower rate.”

Reaching up she jerked back the collar of her shirt, showing a bite mark. Logan growled low and walked back towards the van.

“This will probably heal and be gone in maybe three to four hours. It works at a much slower rate then Logan’s.”

Pietro frowned and walked back towards the van as well.

“What about the other powers?” Wanda asked.

“They aren’t as prominent but I don’t have great control yet so don’t ask me to demonstrate.”

Wanda nodded slowly.

“I guess that explains why you seemed so off in the last months.”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Rogue murmured.

“Hmm, I like this word ‘sorry’ when you use it.”

Rogue smiled back at Wanda and shook her head.

“Don’t let it go to your head,” she remarked as they headed back for the van.

“Yeah, well don’t forget it is part of your vocabulary.”
‘The calm before the storm, is always true to form’ by noVa451
“So,” Rogue began as her and Wanda stood outside of the convenience store as Jaime and Pietro stocked up on supplies inside. Across from them a stoic Logan was filling up the gas tank, his eyes on the road.

“I just wanted to,” she stumbled. “To, in general you know…apologize for everything. I know I haven’t been the easiest friend and I appreciate everything you’ve ever done for me and…” she huffed and finally levelled her gaze at Wanda who was wearing a friendly but all too knowing smirk. “To clarify I’m sorry in general I can be an ass.”

Wanda let the smirk grow on her face as she crossed her arms and leant against the brick wall. “After the past couple of months, sorry is bit of an understatement…”

Rogue slowly opened her mouth but Wanda continued. “But, your apology is accepted.”

“You know though, it kind of does hurt me that you weren’t able to confide in me.”

Rogue sighed and ran her hand through her hair.

“I know, it wasn’t that I didn’t trust you, I was just really fucked up and confused and I just figured the less people were involved the safer things were.”

“Yeah, but you being gunned down wasn’t safe Rogue and your safety is just as important.”

Silently, Rogue scuffed the tip of her shoe against the pavement, a stone rolling under her foot. Looking up her eyes focused on Logan who had his back to them.

“I can see you went ahead and enlisted my designating protector.”

Blowing air through her teeth, Wanda pushed herself off of the wall.

“You’re being an ass again.”

Rogue’s eyes flashed towards her friend in mild annoyance.

“Rogue, I don’t understand what went wrong between the two of you, but he’s here right now and as much as that may be a pain in your ass, although after that show in the room back there…”

Rogue cleared her throat and glared at her.

“I’m just saying, he was the best one for the job and he accepted it and if you think it’s out of obligation, then you need to get your eyes checked.”

“Well, look at you, the president of your own little Wolverine fan club.”

Wanda rolled her eyes. “Would it help if I went over there and hit on him, would that make you get over this little angst act and make you accept whatever left over feelings there are.”

“Bitch,” Rogue responded dryly.

“Skank,” Wanda threw back with a smile.

“Besides I think Jaime would have something to say if you went and did that.”

Wanda burst out laughing. “What?”

“Oh come on,” Rogue implored with a sassy smile. “Maybe you’re the one who needs her eyes checked, because you two seriously need to work something out.”

“Please,” Wanda began in an unusually high voice. “He never takes anything seriously, he’s always…”

“And you take everything too seriously.”

Wanda rolled her eyes and leant back against the wall signalling the end of that particular topic.

They stood in amicable silence as they watched a few cars drive by.

“Rogue, I think you should still see a doctor, make sure everything’s okay,” Wanda began seriously. “I don’t want a repeat of events.”

“Okay,” Rogue responded quietly.

Wanda’s shoulders slouched against the wall, relieved to have avoided another argument.

“You’re not still using are you?”

Sighing slowly Rogue turned and gave her a wry smile.

“It’s not that simple. The drugs help with the over flow of my powers.”

Wanda raised both of her eyebrows up in surprise. “Doctor it is then. Do you know of…”

“I was already seeing one,” Rogue interjected.

“Who?”

“Dr. Hank McCoy.”

“An X-Men?” Wanda asked in surprise.

“Part-time I suppose, but for the last year he’s been working in Washington.”

“Is that what all the disappearances were about?”

“Most.”

Wanda shook her head but responded anyways. “Think he’d still see you? We’re not that far from Washington, probably a day’s drive.”

“I suppose.”

“Call now,” Logan abruptly spoke as he walked up towards them, hearing the last of their conversation. Without another word he placed a few coins in her hand and indicated the pay-phone further down the wall. Sighing, she accepted the money and headed for the phone.


Silently, Logan placed his un-lit cigar in his mouth and chewed on it.

“Nice weather we’re having,” Wanda spoke.

Turning his head slowly, Logan glanced at her wryly and reframed from any comment.

“So for once I try for normal conversation and this is what I get,” she remarked and headed into the store with a small smile.


“Hi, Hank,” Rogue’s careful voice spoke into the phone, her back to Logan.

Logan listened quietly but kept his eyes straight.

“Yeah, it’s me … Rogue,” she paused. “Mhmmm,” she added.

“I’m….alright…but...” she paused again. “Yes,” she added.

“I can be there soon, if….”

“Yes,” she answered into the phone.

“Probably, a day’s drive.”

“Look, Hank…I’m with some friends,” she paused and glanced at Logan. “And Logan.”

For a moment there was a long pause in their conversation, as Rogue held the phone to her ear.

“Yes,” she answered.

Eyeing Logan carefully she pulled the phone away from her ear.

“Logan,” she called softly.

Slowly, he met her gaze.

“He’d like to speak to you.”

Placing the cigar back in his pocket, Logan took the phone from her, careful not to touch her own hand and she backed up.

“Yeah, Hank it’s me.”

“Listen, Hank I need you to keep our presence as quiet as you can, there may be some trouble coming our way.”
Logan grunted. “Nothing we can’t handle. Don’t tell me all that time in your labs and offices you’ve become a softie. I told you to lay off all those twinkies.”

“Yeah, see yah soon,” he muttered and hung the phone up.

Rogue was quiet as they stood alone, waiting for the others, it was suddenly extremely awkward and she was very aware of the amount of space Logan was putting between them.

“Logan,” she began quietly.

He glanced at her slowly, his gaze neutral but she figured it was plus he wasn’t carrying his usual frown.

“Uh,” she stuttered. “I just wanted to say… thank-you for being here.”

She glanced away.

He was quiet and she didn’t think he was going to respond. The door chimed by them as Jaime, Pietro and Wanda exited the store. Logan began moving forward towards the van.

“Just try not to get shot at anymore,” he spoke over his shoulder.

She nodded and pushed off of the wall to follow, a small smile ticking at her lips.
‘No need to watch your back when everyone’s doing it for you’ by noVa451
“Think your friend Hank will be able to assist if your friends show up again Rogue,” Pitero asked slyly as he pulled the van into the parking lot of a rest stop. A sign further down the road read the population of Washington, DC.

Rogue was quiet in the back of the van beside Logan.

Jaime had fallen asleep stretched out on the middle seat.

“I’d like to keep him as less as involved as possible, if you don’t mind,” she answered.

“He was an X-Men, perhaps still is one, I think he can handle himself,” Pietro answered back.

“Then you ask him when we see him,” Rogue bit out, annoyed with Pietro’s attitude.

Pietro smirked at her in the rear view mirror.

“I mean once an X-Men, always an X-Men, isn’t that how it goes.”

Rogue was about to responded when Jaime mumbled suddenly, “Five more minutes, mom.”

“Jaime, wake up!” Wanda snapped as she reached over behind her seat and shook him.

“What?” he blurted abruptly and fell off of the seat and landed on the floor, suddenly two Jaimes were present as his body split in half.

“Aww, Wanda,” he remarked, before allowing the copy of himself to blur back into his body.

Rolling her eyes she ignored his complaining. “Pay attention.”

Glancing out the window she spoke up over Jaime’s moans.

“Does anyone else notice how quiet this place is?”

Rubbing his eyes, Jaime sat up and looked out the front window. “Looks like no one is inside of the restaurant.”

“There’s a few cars parked though,” Pietro observed, his eyes scanning the parking lot.

“I’m going to take a quick look around, everyone be on alert.”

Getting out of the van Pietro was a sudden green blur as he disappeared around the building. The edge of a forest circled around the rest stop eerily. Slowly, Wanda and Jaime exited the van, their bodies side by side as they moved slightly away from the van with their eyes on the edge of the greenery.

“What is it Wanda?”

“I’m not exactly sure,” she responded warily to Jaime.

Sighing, Rogue got up from her spot on the floor of the back of the van preparing to go over the seat when the very quiet Logan grabbed her arm quickly and pulled her back.

“Logan…” she started in annoyance, but one glance at his face and she could tell something was wrong. His eyes were hard and he raised a finger to his lips telling her to be quiet.

Unsure of what he was concerned about she complied as he pushed her back down and he moved forward to stare out of the tinted back window.

“Stay here,” he whispered.

“What exactly are we waiting for?” she asked flippantly as he continued to watch the parking lot. There was a green blur coming in from the right as Pietro came to stand beside a wary Wanda and Jaime in the middle of the parking lot.

Watching the three of her friends talk she became further annoyed by Logan’s silence. Huffing she moved again only to suddenly feel Logan hover over her, his strong body humming with tense energy as his hazel eyes bore into hers with a ferocity she’d only seen in battle.

“Will you shut up and sit still,” he grated quietly, but his voice carried an edge.

She was quiet for a moment, torn between herself, wondering if she should act like the past Rogue, who would have simply done what he told her to, but she was further caught by the audacity that he was suddenly commanding her like he had a right.

“When did you suddenly become Team Leader,” she directed back coldly.

A cold feral smile slid across his face but his eyes didn’t blink.

For a moment his body was entirely still and a small flash of the unknown, perhaps maybe even fear carried through her, unsure of what he was going to do next and that was what scared her most of all, not that he was going to hurt her, but simply she didn’t know how he was going to react, she’d never experienced it before.

A fluid movement swiftly moved through his body and he was all heat again, his body calm as he sat back away from her and watched the window again.

“We’re not alone,” he whispered, his voice devoid of emotion. Turning his head slightly but not looking at her, he added, “And you promised not to get shot at again.”

Letting out a breath, she hadn’t realized she was holding she nodded. “Okay.”

“What about them?” she asked worriedly, focusing on her friends.

Logan shrugged. “They should be fine.”

“Should?” she echoed.

“They can handle themselves.”

“Logan…” she began but sudden movement behind one of the cars caught her attention. Five men covered in black moved out from the cars, rolling out from under them from all directions, their guns suddenly positioned on her friends. Several more soldiers moved out from the forest edge, motioning with their guns for her friends to move into the middle of the circle they had formed. Moving towards the side of the van both Rogue and Logan watched quietly, as the surprised mutants glared at their captures.

“What are we going to do?” she asked quietly.

Turning around, Logan growled low. “I think we have our own problem.”

Following his gaze she spotted the familiar figure walking towards the back of the van. Flipping the back open, Stacy X stood smiling at them.

“Thought you two would get some backseat nookie, while your friends hang?”

Logan growled at her, his hands clenching as he rested on his haunches.

“How the hell did you find us this time?” Rogue spat in surprise.

“Well, to be fair it wasn’t easy,” Stacy X began, as she rested her hand on her hip. “But you’d be surprised how strong your two scents are imprinted now on my system. Using my power on you makes me very susceptible to your presence, no matter how cold the trail may have gotten at times.”

“Gross,” Rogue muttered.

Stacy X smirked at her. “Now Rogue, I will extend the invitation one more time, you come with me and I’ll leave your friends be.”

Glancing out the side tinted window, her concerned gaze fell on her friends who were now all on their knees with some kind of metal net around them.

“Don’t worry it doesn’t hurt much, it’s a new technology of ours, it demobilizes a mutant, paralyzes them you might say, so they won’t be much help.”

“If I go with you, you’ll leave them alone?” Rogue asked quietly.

“No,” Logan spat and turned around to glance at her behind him. “Don’t be stupid, Rogue.”

“Well what do you suggest?”

“Wolverine!” Pietro called suddenly. “We could really use your expertise!”

Stacy X’s head cocked suddenly to the right, a small frown forming on her face as she suddenly regarded Logan like she had only just finally acknowledged him.

“My, my,” she began as she slithered forward in the van and closed the back down behind her. “Don’t tell me you’re the legendary Wolverine.”

Both Rogue and Logan backed up away from her.

“Don’t touch us,” Rogue spat in warning.

“Oh no, I won’t,” she began slyly. “Because suddenly things have gotten a whole lot more interesting.”

Rogue felt very warm and could feel the familiar tickle in the back of her head that had began the last time she’d been cornered by Stacy X.

Stacy X’s gaze moved from Logan to Rogue with a smile.

“Although, I can’t control everything, after being touched by my power so recently, you will find yourselves in my presence, feeling a few aftershocks I suppose you may want to call them.”

“So you’re Wolverine,” she began. “You never mentioned that before.”

“No need to,” he ground out, as his body was tense.

She nodded and her gaze focused on his knuckles. “So the claws are under there then, am I correct?”

Stacy X’s slender arm reached out eagerly as she became focused on his hands. “Let me see them.”

“No,” Rogue responded fiercely as she reached over and blocked the other woman’s advances. “You have no right.”

Suddenly, acknowledging Rogue’s presence again Stacy X’s head tilted towards her as her eyes moved to assess the sudden steeliness to Rogue’s eyes with amused surprise. A slim smile caressed Stacy X face and she pulled her arm back.

“Look, lady, I don’t know who you are,” Logan spoke up gruffly.

“No,” she smiled. “But I’ve heard of you and you know my boss The Director.”

Logan’s forehead creased in confusion. “Never met the guy.”

“Oh but you have,” she laughed lightly. “Believe me you have.”

“Is this of any importance?” Rogue snapped suddenly.

“It is,” Stacy X responded. “Because now there’s been a shift in the game.”

“I don’t understand,” Logan responded.

“I’m a bit of an admirer of yours, Wolverine,” she slithered through her teeth.

Logan was quiet as he glanced at Rogue in perplexity and concern.

“You see,” she began. “I quiet frankly hate my boss and you, well; you definitely screwed him over in the past. He doesn’t like anyone mentioning it, but the scars, the scars are pretty much a never-ending reminder.”

“What…” Logan began.

Stacy X nodded towards his knuckles. “The claws. You clawed him up good one time and ran off, ruining his pet project. So he’s turned to other mutants to use as he sees fit.”

Glancing down at his hands in bewilderment Logan spoke quietly. “I don’t remember anything before I got these and after the procedure everything is a mess anyways.”

Stacy X frowned. “No matter,” she spoke up, leaning back. “I know you have ties everywhere around this world, some you may remember some you may not, but there was even that rumour that you fought with the X-Men and I believe you were on reasonable terms with them, unlike Rogue here,” she finished with a head tilt at the very silent Rogue.

Rogue frowned but remained quiet.

“So what, you suddenly find out my name, and your gunna stop shooting at me, don’t you think from now on you should ask people’s names from the beginning,” Logan spat.

“Well I must apologize the Director has kept you as secret as he can, I had no idea what you looked like. I don’t get out much. He’s a very neurotic man, he likes to keep the mutants who work for him separate and as uninformed as possible and we have you to thank for that.” Her seductive smile deepened. “And you’ve had a habit of running out on me before I had a real chance to re-evaluate the situation.”

“This is a nice chat and all,” Rogue interjected. “But is this going anywhere?”

“I’d tone down the attitude Rogue, cause I just might be the one to help you.”

Rogue’s eyes widened. “Oh, really?” she asked in plain surprise.

“I need a doctor,” Stacy X replied.

Rogue laughed and glanced at Logan. “Is she for real?”

“I assure you I am,” Stacy X replied, her eyes on Logan.

“You may not remember but I can assure you, you and I, Wolverine, have a mutual hate for the Director.”

“Why do you work for him?” he replied.

“An occupational hazard,” she responded. “I was captured some years ago; he injected me with a chip that is attached to my brain at the base of my neck. It controls my powers, where I go, what I do, can apply pain. So you either work for him or you get thrown into one of his experiments, or you die and I wanted to survive.”

“Oh was this going to be the same chip you all too happily were going to give me,” Rogue snapped.

“Yes.”

“What do you want?” Logan seethed.

“You can’t take me to your X-Men for assistance. I’m only allowed in a certain designated area at the moment, for my mission in tracking Rogue down, he’d know if I stepped out of my boundaries because of the tracking device in the chip. I need you to get someone to come to us to remove this chip.”

“Why haven’t you done that for yourself?” Rogue asked.

“I’ve never been allowed before to have this much time for a mission, and I need not your everyday doctor, and who knows who’s in his pockets in the government. I need a very good doctor, one that knows mutants, that perhaps is a mutant. The procedure is complicated.”

“Complicated?”

“I could die, if not removed properly and there’s the added self-destruct aspect of it.”

“Of course,” Rogue muttered.

“You find me such a doctor and I will say your friend’s here, burned your body. We already found the empty coffin, I’ll just say they had you cremated, so they could do it on their own terms and all these soldiers here, will be gone from your tail.”

“What’s the catch?” Logan asked coolly.

Stacy X laughed. “Let’s say I do survive, even if the procedure is a botch, I’d still be under the Director’s control, therefore I want to make it clear I won’t hesitate in turning in you two, because believe me that would get me in good, me with the legendary Wolverine.”

Logan growled at her.

“Why should we trust you?”

“You shouldn’t,” she replied. “But how about an act of good faith.”

“Like what?” Rogue asked warily.

Smiling at her, Stacy X lifted the back of the van up and slid out. “Stay here,” she whispered quietly before turning and facing the soldiers.

“They’ve already cremated her body, there’s an urn in here,” she called out to the men. “Retreat,” she commanded. Lowering their guns the soldiers’ blank stares focused on her. “Leave the net though; we don’t want them trying anything right now, I will question them.”

All of the men turned and disappeared into the forest a few minutes later the sound of a few car engines bursting to life were heard in the distance.

“They going to believe that for long?” Rogue asked in disbelief. “There is no urn.”

“I’ll say I let your friends bury it, I was feeling sentimental.”

“Right,” Logan grunted.

“So I did my part.”

Logan frowned and glanced at Rogue in a clear sign that he didn’t like what was going on.

“We’ll get you your appointment.”

“Good, I will be in contact with you soon. Now that my mission has been deemed done, I only have a short timeline to remain in the state. If I don’t hear from you in the next hour, I will be coming after you.”

Moving back she started to head towards the forest.

“By the way,” she called over her shoulder. “You two really need to get together, the tension is giving me a headache.”
‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away but a trained assassin, the doctor’s on the clock’ by noVa451
“Rogue I really recommend that you let me take a look at you first,” Hank voiced, his eyes watching her over his glasses.

Rogue sighed as she moved around the operating room, her hand trailing along the sterile counter top. Looking up she spotted Logan’s blurry reflection in the steel cupboards as he leant against the far wall with his arms crossed. He’d been silent since Stacy X had left. He’d merely greeted Hank with a grunt and a rough handshake. Hank from past experiences picked up on Logan’s agitation and merely raised an eyebrow in her direction but when she’d immediately told him about Stacy X and the agreement he smartly realized it wasn’t a time for pleasantries.

“That be nice and all doc,” Rogue started and turned to flash Hank a small smile as he stood in the middle of the room by the table. “But Stacy X will be here any minute. She doesn’t have much of a timeline.”

She drifted closer towards the table and glanced down at the clean floor. Hank eyed her gravely and slowly moved his gaze to glance at Logan wearily.

Coughing once he lowered his head and eyed Rogue discreetly. “Neither do you,” he whispered, but even he knew it was futile.

Logan’s head snapped up instantaneously.

Slowly, Rogue matched Hank’s gaze. “Don’t over-exaggerate,” she remarked off-hand. Her voice was far to calm.

“What?” Logan bellowed across the room. Glaring, his gaze narrowed on the two of them as he stalked forward.

Hank sighed but he kept his eyes on Rogue and she in return ignored both of them.

Logan, however, did not take kindly to the sudden silence between them.

“What do you mean she has a timeline?” he asked Hank firmly.

Pushing his glasses back up his nose Hank glanced once more at Rogue before facing Logan.

“It means,” he began slowly.

“Doctor,” Rogue interrupted tightly. “Don’t forget your Hippocratic Oath.”

Hank stuttered and frowned at Logan.

“Fuck this,” Logan spat after Hank grew silent again.

Stalking over to Rogue he swung her around to face him.

“Do you suddenly get off on keeping every little thing a secret?” he yelled but her face remained emotionless. “Or is that just some new power you picked up along the way, gotta make everything one damn mystery after another.”

She wouldn’t make eye contact with him and she could feel his hot breath on her skin as he huffed in anger.

Leaning in close to her ear he whispered, “You know what I think, Rogue,” he dragged her name out harshly. “I think it’s just your way of being in control. Gotta hold all the cards in the deck don’tcha darlin’.”

Slowly, her eyes flashed and moved to match his gaze, a small smirk danced across her face in warning. “You’re one to talk. I think you’re just unable to accept the fact that you don’t have control of my life.”

His eyes widened immediately, his nostrils flaring but before she could focus on the fluid of emotions that passed through his eyes he turned with a snarl and went back to his spot by the wall.

Passing Hank with a short glare he spat, “I wouldn’t waste your time doc, seems to me she has a death wish anyways.”

“Logan,” Hank began. “I hardly think that is an appropriate thing to say…”

“Can it furball,” he responded. “She left out the part in the story where I’d found her dead as a door nail in a coffin. Then a few days later she’s healed again but still just as dumb.”

“Fuck you, Logan,” Rogue hissed across the room, her back facing him as she tried to ignore the sting of tears in her eyes.

“What?” Hank gasped. “Remarkable,” he gushed as he walked around to Rogue. “Your body was able to draw on Logan’s power and heal, even after all that time.”

“Stop looking at me like I’m going to be your next test tube, Hank.”

Hank opened his mouth, a bit taken back but then a sturdy glare formed on his face. “Whatever has taken place between you two, this is hardly the time to drag it back in. If what Logan says is true, Rogue and since he is already here, he is already a part of this.”

He was met with silence but he carried on. “Logan, what I meant before was that if Rogue does not learn control soon, if she is not able to fully adapt her body to the changes, it is quite possible she won’t survive.”

Slowly, Logan turned his head. “Well what you goin’ to do about it furball?”

“I need to do some more tests,” he responded strictly. “If what you say is true, that Rogue was able to heal back from supposed death then perhaps her body has slowly begun to adapt to her resource of powers, learning to draw on the ones when needed. We must begin immediately…”

“I’m I interrupting?” a slick feminine voice called from the door way of Hank’s private lab.

Logan grumbled low and glared at the smiling Stacy X. “I can see you’re still in a good mood,” she retorted.

“Obviously you two didn’t heed my advice.”

“You must be Stacy X,” Hank spoke politely. “I’m…”

“Doctor Hank McCoy,” she finished. “Yes, I saw your name on the door but I’ve also heard of your reputation which is why I’m here.”

“You did good,” she remarked as she glanced at Rogue and Logan. “A very first-rate contact indeed.”

Rogue glared at her and moved to sit in one of the far chairs.

“Good to see you too, Rogue,” she called sweetly. “You’ll be glad to know I contacted my superiors and you’re off their grid. I think they classified you as dust in the wind.”

“Cute,” Rogue responded with a sneer.

“Be nice,” Stacy countered as she slid her jacket off. “You still have your end of the deal to up hold and I’m supposed to be on my way out of the state so we don’t have long.”

“Then I’ll hold my breath,” Rogue remarked dryly.

Logan glared at her but she ignored him.

“Are you prepared to begin immediately?” Hank asked.

“Can I trust you doctor?”

Logan snorted. “He’s got a Hippocratic Oath and everything.”

Hank frowned slightly in Logan’s direction.

“I’d like to start with some X-rays first but from what information I’ve gathered from Rogue and Logan it appears you already know the dangers involved but I have heard of such technologies before and feel I am prepared as any doctor can be in these present circumstances.”

“Well if that isn’t confidence I don’t know what is,” she smirked.

“Rogue, Logan if you could please excuse us.”

“You want to be alone with her, Hank?” Logan asked strongly.

“Your presence will only complicate matters during the procedure.”

Logan fixed his standard glare on the smiling Stacy X.

“Please, Logan I do not think she is here to try anything. You yourself said she was not lying.”

“Fine,” Logan grunted. “We’ll be right outside.”

Leaving slowly, Rogue got up and followed him.

“Where’s the rest of your band of merry mutants?” Stacy X asked with a smile but Rogue could make out the tiny amount of anxiety in her dark eyes. She was nervous and perhaps she didn’t blame her.

“They’re kind of pissed about the whole net thing last time and the guns; they’d rather not be here trying to save your life.”

Stacy X tilted her head in sly amusement. “Fair enough.”

Rogue nodded and drifted out of the room. “Good Luck.”

“Shall we begin,” Hank motioned.

“As long as it’s not the beginning of the end.”
‘Rev my engine, ignore the false start’ by noVa451
Jiggling her leg as she sat on Hank’s couch in his office Rogue glanced at the wall clock for the tenth time confirming that both her and Logan had been sitting in silence for over a half n hour.

Casting an annoyed glance at him as he sat across her in a chair, with some magazine in his hand that she knew he wasn’t reading.

Exhaling a burst of air she stood up and made for the door.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m going to go upstairs and hang out with Wanda and them,” she responded tightly.

“No you’re not.”

“Really?” she hissed and turned around to face him. “You don’t want to be here any more then I do.”

Tossing the magazine on the desk he sat back in the chair.

“You will wait and see how the procedure is going. What happens to Stacy X affects you.”

Tapping her foot, she ran a hand through her hair and proceeded to sit back down across from him.

“Try to be less tense then,” she blurted out. “You’re driving me crazy.”

Tilting his head in a motion she’d come to recognize as more of a Wolverine reflex his harsh stare finally focused on her.

She waited but he remained quiet. The silence was suddenly un-nerving as he hardly blinked.

“I just mean,” she started slowly. “I know things haven’t been pleasant but ever since, ever since in the motel with her…and….” she drifted off. “You’ve been,” she paused again searching for the correct words. “Keyed up,” she finished hesitantly.

A feral smirk grew on his face and she thought perhaps she’d finally crossed a line in acknowledging something.

“So are you,” he responded in a low voice.

She was quiet as she observed the sudden stillness to his body, a tautness she’d learned long ago to recognize that he was in a more feral state.

“So what do you want to do about it?” she snapped lightly. “Have sex?”

His nostrils flared but he didn’t say anything.

“Didn’t think so,” she muttered and went back to glancing at the clock.

“You sound sad,” he mocked suddenly, his voice drawing her out of the silence.

Quickly, she snapped her head around and glared at him.

“Not in the least.”

He was still smirking but his eyes grew dark even as they appeared to shine. She could sense that they were getting into dangerous territory but she was too stubborn to listen to the warning signs.

“Don’t lie darlin’,” he drawled and she ignored what the tone of his gravely voice did to her. “I can smell you.”

Raising one eyebrow at him she leant forward. “My ability to call on your gift my come and go but did you forget sugah,” she drawled back. “I can smell you too,” she finished by tapping her noise. “Not as strong but its there.”

His expression changed subtly, not so much a frown but she could tell by the small line in between his eyebrows she’d caught him off guard.

Sitting back she waited for him to respond and when he didn’t she opened her mouth again. “So we’ve clarified that we both want each other but it doesn’t change a thing, does it?”

His head ticked to the side. “What do you mean?”

“It means, you hate me and as much as you’re here collecting on a promise you made long ago, you’re not going to mix pleasure with business not when you have the lines drawn so clear.”

Glancing at the floor briefly he slowly met her gaze.

“You got it all figured out don’tcha.”

She shrugged.

“If I hated yah, Rogue I wouldn’t be here, so at least smarten up about that. You should know that much,” he voiced bitterly.

Her eyes widened a little in response. “Angry then?”

Leaning forward his eyes focused on hers. “Hell of a lot of anger.”

She smirked defensively and she knew he could sense her sudden hesitation. She’d shown a weakness in her wall and he was picking up on it. She actually cared to know how he felt and now she’d shown her hand.

Regarding her for a moment, she knew he was observing her, watching for a crack in her façade. The conversation was suddenly to close for comfort, because the questions she’d always seen behind his eyes, since she’d left him all that time ago and since she’d woken up were suddenly shining open in his gaze and any minute now they’d be moving out of his mouth.

“Why don’t you say sorry?”

Blinking twice she glanced at him in confusion. “What?”

“Sorry for what you did. What you did to me.”

Pretending to pick off a piece of lint from her pants she looked away. “There’s no point,” she responded hating the way her voice suddenly sounded frail in comparison to his.

“It ain’t pride that’s keeping you from saying it, I know that much. I thought it was but then,” he paused as he reached into his jacket and pulled out her letter. “I read this and as much as it doesn’t make much sense, you finish it clear as day with you saying sorry.” He looked down at the letter as he opened it. “I’m sorry, Logan. Sorry for everything. Marie.”

Her voice caught in her throat as she watched the way he cradled the letter.

“Means you care. You’re not the total heartless bitch you pretend to be.” Carefully he put the letter back in his pocket. “Was it easier to say sorry when you knew you were going to die?”

“I didn’t know I was going to die,” she answered truthfully. “Despite what you think, I did not and do not have a death wish.”

Nodding his head once, his eyes were still locked on hers. She felt trapped.

“Then why’s it so hard now, to say it out loud? Don’t you think I deserve that much?”

She blinked twice as her eye sight became blurry but she refused to have herself break down in front of him.

“Why don’t you say sorry?” he repeated. When she didn’t answer he sighed loudly and she knew he was growing more agitated. “Why don’t…”

“Because,” snapped, her voice trembling a little but growing steadier as she finally acknowledge him. “Because I know it’s not going to mean anything. It’s not going to change anything. Not with you. You don’t get second chances with the Wolverine.”

“A second chance?” he whispered.

“Forgiveness isn’t a part of your world, Logan.”

He watched her steadily even as her eyes watered. “I know enough to know I don’t deserve your forgiveness.”

Growling suddenly he stood up out of his chair and paced in front of her.

“God damn it Marie,” he snarled. Pacing again his feral gaze locked on her. “Of course I’m angry and…” he cut himself off as he snarled suddenly and cracked his neck and began to pace again. Abruptly he stopped in front of her and towered over her.

“I know all this relationship crap is complicated,” he began quietly. “But I never stopped wanting you and as much as I tried I could never change that.”

Leaning in his eyes became more focused. “You have no idea how hard it’s been.”

“You have no idea what the animal in me wants to do with you.”

She swallowed dryly and he was distracted by the spike of fear she gave off. Backing up he turned around. “That side of me wants to punish you some how and the man in me wants to run and I can’t…”

Whirling around again he faced her. “It’s not about forgiveness, it’s about re-education.”

“You betrayed me.”

“I know,” she whispered.

“You betrayed us.”

She nodded slowly.

“And as fucked up as it sounds that part of me wants to take you away, wants to break you down and re-build you so you’d never be able to do it again but I don’t want to be like that….I don’t want to be that type of man. I never tried to control you, if that’s what you think.”

“I never wanted to. I wanted to protect you. I wanted to protect what was mine. What was ours.”

“I know,” she whispered again. The palms of her hands were pressed against her eyes. “You’re a good man, Logan.”

“It was never going to be full of flowers and candies, Rogue. It was never going to be about that. There was always a part of this that was dark and primal. You were my mate. They all thought I was going to be the one to mess it up, but it was you. They thought I didn’t understand what it meant to be in such a relationship. I was committed. You knew that, you knew beyond any of them what us being together meant. But maybe they were right; maybe you were just too young to understand. But don’t pretend you weren’t aware of the promise you made to me when you gave yourself freely to me and in return I’d simply done the same.”

“Oh god,” she breathed as she felt the silent tears fall down her face.

“And now I’ve just been fighting inside me on what I want. Because yes I know there’s no solid trust there anymore, but you, you’ve just given up. Decided everything for the both of us.”

“What are you saying?”

He stood still with his back towards her again. “I’m saying I want you but I don’t trust you.”

“Isn’t that just all the same then,” she shuddered.

“Marie…”

“You deserve to be happy, Logan.”

He frowned at the sound of her teeth chattering. Turning around his eyes widened in shock and she glanced up at him in surprise.

“What?”

“Shit, Marie,” he gasped as he cupped her face. His thumb brushed against the tears that had fallen but instead of water he removed the ice that had formed on her face.

She convulsed slightly. Reaching down he trailed his fingers across her one hand that was becoming blue, solid ice, much like they had both seen Bobby do a thousand times.

“Stay with me,” he urged as he shrugged his jacket off and searched for the vials. Getting the shot ready he glanced at her in concern.

“Pretty shitty time to have a physical breakdown,” she trembled.

“You just had to put the spotlight back on you, didn’t yah darlin’.”

She tried to smile but found she couldn’t as she trembled again.

Rolling up her sleeve he frowned when her whole arm was iced up.

“Fuck.”

Reaching over to her other arm he quickly rolled it up, already aware of the fact that the top of her shoulder was icing up.

Jabbing the needle in she jerked but he held her down as he injected it all. Slowly, she sank against the couch as he removed the needle. Breathing deeply she tried to focus as the ice began to disappear.

“If this is the reaction I get every time I try and talk about something, it ain’t fair.”

In response her lips twitched into a small smile. Sighing deeply, she felt her head grow heavy. Focusing she opened her eyes. She could feel the high slowly creeping up on her as her body relaxed and the sudden mutation receded, but her eyes still glistened as she fought to focus on him.

“I am sorry you know,” she whispered.

Finding her eyes heavy she closed them and felt his finger briefly brush away one of her bangs. Opening her eyes once more she licked her lips.

“But we both know you haven’t gotten the answers you’re looking for.”

Abruptly, she felt herself un-able to focus and she slumped against him.

His strong hands moved her to lie across the whole couch.

“Incredible timing as always,” he remarked and she smirked through her haze.

Rolling her head to the side she spotted his blurry form at the edge of her vision.

“You can’t forgive me,” she whispered breathless. “I don’t forgive myself.”

If he responded she didn’t know as she drifted off to sleep but she could feel the weight of his warm hand on her back.
‘Reality has a habit of seeping in’ by noVa451
“Why does she always appear to pass out right after the injection? Is that healthy?”

Logan’s voice was fuzzy and disorienting to Rogue’s ears. Slowly, she found herself waking up, her cheek pressed against the warm leather of the couch but she kept her eyes closed, giving her body a minute or two to catch up.

“I would say after the past couple of days it would be a normal side effect. Her body is extremely stressed and when she cannot control the on coming powers her body goes into over load. The drug allows her to rest and recuperate, the best way for her to accomplish that is through sleep.” Hank’s tired voice responded. She could sense their voices just outside the doorway.

“Is this natural?” Logan asked quietly. “It doesn’t seem right that her mutation is trying to kill her.”

“Yes, I know,” Hank responded wearily. “I do not think that is the intent of her mutating evolution. Rogue’s power developed around the appropriate age of puberty, and no doubt during a very stressful experience. The first thing that occurred to her was to cover her skin up, to ignore it. The Professor himself told her there was likely no control in her future it was merely how her gift was meant to be. Therefore even in a school for mutants Rogue never bothered to attempt the limitations and the possibilities of her skin. In effect she perhaps blocked the change that was meant to be gradual. When she was older and after having absorbed a few mutants, such as yourself, she learned with the Professor’s help how to control the invading personalities, how to lock them up in her mind. This no doubt led to her ability to find the switch in her mind to control her skin. I believe that was halfway through your relationship was it not?”

Logan grunted.

“Once she had acquired the control she wanted, she never thought much about her potential with her gift. Why is it that the personalities, the more consequential element of the transfer when she uses her skin remain, but the less threatening to her mind, the powers fade? Perhaps it is the natural transgression of events that her body has learned to hold on to each power as a battery resource. The danger lies in that she must not ignore it, she must learn how each one works, and she must learn the ability to call on them or to even banish them when she wants. A future possibility being that she could filter what happens when she touches another mutant; she could block the personality and absorb the power or vice versa.”

Logan was quiet for a moment. “So what your saying is she could be one of the most powerful mutants in the world,” his words were dark and tense.

“She views it as a sickness, Logan.”

“Does the Professor know?”

“No,” Hank responded. “I promised Rogue.”

“Good,” Logan interrupted tightly. “Make sure it stays that way.”

“Of course.”

“What can you do then, what do you plan on doing?”

“The problem has been getting her to fully co-operate. It would be best if she remained here, for observation.”
Logan growled.

“I know…” Hank began carefully. “That both of you are not very comfortable with doctors and this environment but if I am able to witness each spurt of power and able to somehow slow the advances down without having to knock her out, she could very well learn control.”

“How many powers does she have?”

“She said five.”

“She says,” Logan snorted.

“Magneto, you, Bobby, John and some mutant she briefly touched by accident in the past year who had added strength and agility.”

“Which one is most problematic for her?”

“I would have to say John’s power. I’ve seen it when it has flared up in her and it was quite a devastating experience to say the least. She fears his power for some reason and that fear restricts her from being able to take control.”

“Only once briefly has she exhibited his power since she woke up…” Logan hesitated slightly. “She burned somebody else’s cigarette right through.”

“That was all?” Hank asked in surprise.

“What is it doc?”

“It no doubt was a large strain on her body when she was subconsciously drawing on your power.”

“And?” Logan barked.

“Your power has always been the least obtrusive to her. Exhibiting your power usually calms her down.”

“So what you’re saying, is that the me in her head, or my power helps her push the others back?”

“That is quite possible, your power has been the most consistent and the most adaptable, and at times she hasn’t even known what she was doing. I would theorize that another transfer of your power into her and she would have the ability to heal as fast as you do.”

“Isn’t there a danger to her possessing too many powers?”

Feigning sleep Rogue continued to listen with her heightened hearing but movement from the other side of the room distracted her as the back door opened and footsteps were coming towards her.

“Wake up Rogue; I should be the one resting.”

Opening her eyes Rogue slowly sat up as she acknowledged Stacy X. There was a large bandage around her neck, her skin despite the scales was a shade lighter and even her eyes looked tired but the smile on her face showed a genuine sense of freedom.

“You’re alive.”

“And kicking,” Stacy X responded as she sat across in one of the chairs.

Rogue nodded quietly not sure what else to say.

“It’s okay,” the other woman laughed softly. “I know were not exactly friends but you can admit that getting me this procedure and the fact that it was successful will be a thorn in the Director’s side once he realizes I’m gone.”

“Will you be okay?” “I mean won’t he be looking for you?”

Stacy X nodded. “No doubt. But I will lay low, maybe get out of the country, which is why I can’t stay long.”

“Well,” Rogue paused and glanced around the room before finally setting her eyes on the other woman. “I suppose I should thank you.”

Stacy X smirked lightly in response. “You’re a smart girl Rogue, I can see that. You know how it is when were forced to play the hand were dealt and I know after everything this is the closest we’ll come to a comfort zone. The key though is to always remember there’s another hand coming the next turn, another chance, it be wise not to forget that.”

Smiling tightly Rogue nodded at her.

Swiftly Stacy X stood up. “Well I should be going. Remember to stay low too Rogue. Don’t go around getting yourself caught. You pissed off the wrong kind of people.” Tilting her head at her, she winked once. “But I kind of like that about you.”

“Thanks.”

“From what I hear you’re a pretty remarkable mutant, Rogue, but the Director he doesn’t always think straight, his anger at you far out weighed the more practical side of him. Be careful he doesn’t get a second chance to re-evaluate your worth.”

Making her way back the way she came in, Stacy X paused in the doorway. “By the way,” she started pointedly, glancing at the other door where they could make out Logan and Hank’s shadows. “Whatever went wrong there, fix it, because believe me when you do it will be good.”

With one last wink, she slithered through the door.
‘The drinks are a plenty but the smiles are still a few’ by noVa451
The lights were dimmed low in the hotel bar but as Rogue approached the corner booth she could already make out Pietro’s scowl.

“Well aren’t you just a barrel of sunshine,” she muttered as she slid into the seat across from him.

He nodded at her slowly and took a drag on his beer. His eyes moving around the gradually crowding bar, never really stopping on her.

“That snake husk leave yet?” he finally asked.

“Yes,” she nodded.

He was silent again as the song playing on the speakers changed and several more people joined the tiled dance floor.

“It was nice of your friend Hank to set us up in this hotel.”

“You know you can thank him yourself, the X-Men whether former or not aren’t all that bad.”

He snorted and finally locked his gaze on her.

“Don’t sell that shit to me, Rogue,” he spat. “Not after the fact you’ve spent the past three years avoiding them.”

Glancing down at the table she whispered, “My judgement ain’t always a crowning achievement Pietro.”

He laughed darkly. “No, after this past experience it’s obvious your judgement has a tendency to be off.”

“Pietro,” she interrupted his glowering sharply. “What really has you so worked up? It was your own judgment to get Logan involved. Why is he suddenly a problem?”

Leaning forward he cradled his beer and stared at her.

“He was the best for the job. How was I to know you’d come back from apparent death?”

Sitting back as though she’d been struck, she stared at him in shock. “Is that the problem then? That I’m alive? Would you rather I be in the ground?”

“No,” he snapped. “That’s not what I meant,” he finished softly.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“It’s different now,” he mumbled.

“How?”

“Because he’s still here.”

“Pietro…”

“And he’s trying.”

He pushed his beer away. “I figured he’d been gone by now, but he’s not. He’s still here. Why do you think that is, Rogue?”

“Hank…”

“Oh, please, Rogue,” he interrupted. “Wolverine ain’t here to catch up with Hank. He’s here still because you’re alive. Because somewhere along this little adventure you’ve done something or said something to show him there’s a chance that you aren’t who you were pretending to be. That you have a chance to fix it.”

Rogue stuttered and stared at him in shock.

“Please, I don’t want to hear you try and explain it.”

Sighing, he reached for his beer and smiled at her lightly after taking another sip. “I’m happy being your friend, Rogue.”

“You’re a good friend to have too, you know,” she whispered affectionately and reached out to squeeze his hand. “And thank you, for everything.”

His smile turned into a smirk but she spoke up again before he had a chance to respond.

“And I won’t pull this shit ever again.”

His smirk grew.

“That be nice, Rogue but we both know you ain’t someone who can sit still.”

“Neither can you,” she responded back with a knowing smile.

Laughing he tipped his beer bottle towards her. “See yah on the road sometime then, Rogue.”

“You can’t get rid of me that easily,” she laughed back and reached for his beer taking a sip.

He chuckled deeply. “No, you’ve definitely proven that.”

“What do you say we finally have some fun, now that no one is after us?”

“I say you’re a smart man, Pietro.”


***


The music in the hotel bar had escalated as the night wore on and more people filtered in and out. Rogue caught the staged relaxed smile on her face in the mirror at the back of the bar and reached for her drink as the young man beside her continued to chat her up.

“Can I get you another?” he asked her sweetly, as his dark blue eyes sparkled. His body automatically leant towards her.

Shifting her eyes away she smile wider and grazed his hand. “Sure.”

“Can I speak to you for a moment?” Wanda’s voice suddenly rang between them.

Rogue glanced at the serious look on her friend’s face. Frowning a little she nodded and excused herself.

Wanda’s hand gripped her upper arm surprisingly and dragged her over to the far wall.

“What’s wrong, Wanda?” she asked hurriedly, noticing the slight flare of anger in her friend’s face. “Has something happened?”

“Yeah,” Wanda huffed and let her grip go. “Apparently, you’ve gone and lost your mind again.”

In response, it was Rogue’s turn to frown.

“Things suddenly get to real for you again, Rogue?”

“Wanda.”

“You’re being a bitch,” Wanda interrupted.

“Excuse me,” she snapped back in disbelief.

“Oh, please, stop with the act. You know exactly what you’re doing.”

“Wanda, you need to...”

“I never knew you to be such a coward.”

Rogue’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Are you purposely trying to ruin this night?”

Wanda laughed lightly. “Not me, Rogue. Not me.”

Glancing around the room once, Wanda spoke again. “What are you doing here Rogue?”

“Well I thought I was celebrating with friends,” she responded tightly. “I guess I was wrong.”

“Go and talk to him.”

Rogue’s eyes widened a little and Wanda smirked at her.

“What are you so afraid of?”

Shaking her head, Rogue glanced around the room once and shrugged her shoulders. “He’s probably got his bag packed already by now and is checking out.”

“Is this really worth it?” Wanda asked sincerely. “This game you play, is it really worth it in the end? You want to waste a few more years?”

Rogue was quiet as she observed her friend.

“I’m not saying you’re going to work it out but doesn’t he at least deserve an answer?”

When Rogue didn’t responded, Wanda’s eyes narrowed as she hissed, “The man deserves an answer.”

Cocking her head, she watched Wanda for a moment after her outburst and turned to leave. “Why do you suddenly care?”

Wanda pulled her back quickly and she didn’t fight it.

“Give it up, Rogue.”

“Stop hiding. You’re not only hurting him, you’re hurting yourself.”

Wanda sighed. “But that’s the point isn’t it? You, punishing yourself. You need this too.”

“I helped you run from my father but I’m not going to help you run any more from Logan.”

“This is all because you thought the guy I was talking to is cute isn’t it and you wanted him,” Rogue answered back finally.

Wanda frowned and opened her mouth but Rogue swiftly glanced at her and smiled warmly, despite the glow to her eyes. “I’m kidding,” she whispered.

Closing her mouth, Wanda smiled at her in relief.

“He’s outside.”

“Thanks,” Rogue responded and reached over to hug her. “I don’t deserve you.”

Wanda laughed. “Hey, part of the reason this friendship has never fallen apart is because we’re too stubborn and thick to let each other go.”

Rogue pulled back and laughed. “Let me guess that’s a hint at how stubborn I’m being right now.”

“Oh, not a hint, more like a full fledge proclamation,” Wanda responded and pushed her in the direction of the patio.



Swiftly, Rogue made her way through the tiled dance floor but not before a familiar hand reached out and grabbed her, twirling her elaborately.

“Will you make a dying man’s wish and dance with me for a moment, beautiful?”

Rogue shook her head in amusement. “You’re not dying, Jaime.”

Jaime pulled back in playful surprise. “Well, perhaps but I am skilled at the foot work and I need an equally skilled partner.”

“You’re so full of it, Jaime,” she responded affectionately.

Nodding his head slyly he pulled her closer in a position that was more of a hug than a courting dance. “I’m glad you’re back, Roguey,” he whispered.

Leaning, back she smiled at him. “Me too.” Quickly, she gave him a peck on his cheek and pulled back.

“But maybe you should go ask Wanda to dance.”

“Maybe I will.”

Pulling back she smiled at him once more before glancing to the right. “And Jaime, give her your full attention,” she finished by raising her eyebrows at his twin copy dancing on the other side of the room with a blonde.

Rolling his eyes in mock surrender he nodded and disappeared through the crowd.

Watching him for a brief moment in amusement she turned and ventured out towards the patio which was surprisingly far quieter than the inside of the bar. A few smokers huddled together in the corner, surprised by the crisp air of the summer night; she could tell fall would be coming on its way soon.

The scent of a fine cigar tickled her nose and she spotted the dark figure standing by himself at the end of the patio. The moonlight briefly highlighted the side of his face before he reached over for the beer that was resting on the banister.

Taking a deep breath, she moved forward, admitting that she was slightly surprised he was still here and that part of her was relieved despite the butterflies she felt in her stomach. There was no point in pretending with him anymore. She could say she was Rogue all she wanted but the walls she had built had slowly fallen down one by one in the last few days. There was always going to be a part of her that was Marie around him.

Just Marie and Logan. Nothing to hide behind.

Stepping forward she spoke quietly but firmly, “I suppose I owe you some answers.”
‘Don’t open that box, my hope is ever locked’ by noVa451
“I suppose I owe you some answers.”

Logan was quiet and she couldn’t make out his face as he turned away from the moonlight. His back was to her and it was suddenly a very apparent physical symbol of the wall between them.

“You don’t owe me anything,” his rough voice responded in the night. His voice sounded weary and somehow final.

Crossing her arms she glanced out at the night that covered the gardens of the hotel. Sighing, she turned back to focus on him and spoke again, “Don’t you want to know what the weapon is?”

Cigar smoke billowed around the back of his head as she saw him reach up and pull it out of his mouth. Taping it against the rail he shook his head from side to side once.

“A drug addict and a full fledge thief, not so sure I’d trust the truth anyways.”

“So we’re back to hurting each other again.”

“Didn’t think we stopped.”

She thought about turning and leaving. Thought about saying she had tried at least and that was that. But it wasn’t the background noise of the bar that reminded her that her friends were inside perhaps waiting that caused her to stand still, it suddenly was her own choice and she didn’t need to be pushed into it. This was something she wasn’t going to let go. She wasn’t going to walk away again.

Walking slowly towards him she leant against the rail, her eyes still focused outward. He didn’t say anything but he didn’t move away. Reaching into the pocket of her jeans, she delicately pulled out the object and dangled it in front of her. The moonlight reflected off of the metal of the chain and the single dog tag, catching Logan’s attention.

“I lied,” she whispered.

He snorted.

“I lied when I said it wasn’t about you.”

She knew she had his full attention.

Reaching over he grazed his fingers across the dog tag, acknowledging it was the other half of the one he had given her.

A loud shout behind them followed by laughter caused her to jump slightly and she gazed up at the focused look in Logan’s eyes.

“Do you mind if we go somewhere else?”

He nodded. Putting his cigar out he walked towards the exit in the patio that led into the gardens. Following him, she was unsure where he was going until he abruptly stopped on the path and turned right. There, he remained standing by the pond on the property.

It wasn’t exactly her idea of the best spot but no one else was around and she did want what was to follow to be private.

Standing beside him, his face was again shadowed in the night by the trees around her. He didn’t say anything and she took that as a sign that it was time for her to talk.

“Back at the mansion,” she started her voice cracking.

Swallowing hard, she licked her lips and continued.

“During the month that John was back, but even a little bit before that I was having some problems with my powers.”

“After learning control, at being able to touch I thought the stress of my power had disappeared but instead I started to notice it was fluctuating at times. If I kept it off too long, it appeared to be twice as strong the next time. I knew you didn’t want me to use my power on missions unless as a last resort and I found myself agreeing. It was important I kept covered up on missions in case my control slipped.”

Logan stood stock still beside her, almost like a statue but she could feel his presence and the silence was grateful. For once they weren’t bickering but it wasn’t making everything she said any easier.

“Then with John,” she hesitated but Logan made no sound.

“I was angry with John for joining Magneto and for becoming the bitter man he was but I understood what the Professor was trying to accomplish. Part of me even hoped the Professor was correct in his assessment of John. But John...” she paused. “John, I think did want to change but he didn’t know how to do it exactly. Xavier’s was the one place that had ever truly been his home once but he had always felt like he hadn’t belonged even there. He was to proud to admit he needed us again and even trying to hang out with him again he knew which buttons to push and he wasn’t afraid to do it.”

“One particular day, I can’t remember exactly when, he asked me to hang out with him, just the two of us. I agreed thinking he was responding well to being welcomed back but even with no one else around him to impress he liked finding those buttons with me. He was disappointed in me, he would say. Couldn’t believe I had turned into one of Xavier’s soldiers, he would spit. And then...” she faltered.

“He wanted to know about you and I and I refused to give him any more ammunition but it didn’t seem to matter, he was so bitter and hurt in ways I didn’t understand. I turned to leave that day and he had grabbed me suddenly, my power I guess from my emotions had flared on and I had drained him un-expectedly. And oh god it had been too much, it had been too long.”

She could feel her eyes water but she refused to stop there.

“His essence consumed me and once he saw what it was doing to me, saw that I was trying to find the switch was trying to get away, he just held on stronger, despite the pain. I remember falling against a tree and kicking him off of me, fumbling to find the switch again to turn my skin off. I did but I knew it didn’t seem to matter. Pyro’s personality had been too much. I remember he was gasping for breath, I remember him staggering against a tree, but what I remember most of all was the smug smile on his face.”

“He’d burned himself right through me.”

“I remember running away, ashamed that I’d let him get such control over me and I remember waiting in our room. I remember sorting through Pyro’s personality, trying to push him away and I thought I had succeeded but when you came in, I wanted to tell you what had happened and I couldn’t. Not that I didn’t want to, it felt like I physically couldn’t. I could feel John’s apathy towards you and that it was to be our little secret.”

“I was thrown off by how powerful John was and my reaction. It felt like I was caught up in my own fire of circle, as clichéd as it sounds, but John was always there. Not just in my mind but physically. He’d request time with me from the Professor and I’d want to reject but I just somehow couldn’t.”

“He’d already held conquest in my mind and eventually that conquest turned physical. I was attracted to him and I hated it. I could feel the burning passion his touch had given me when I had drained him and I reacted the same to him. It was like a moth being called to a flame.”

“And Remy?” he asked suddenly, his voice cold and detached.

“I don’t think I can ever explain this all clearly but...” she clenched her hand around the chain and continued as she closed her eyes. “I sought out Remy.”

Logan growled quietly. “Why?”

“It wasn’t to hurt you, despite the fact I know it did. Of course it would,” she whispered. “But I did it to hurt John.”

“He thought he owned me. He thought he was getting one up on you, he didn’t care that I was in a relationship with you. His enjoyment came from knowing he was hurting you. But Remy, Remy sure did surprise him,” she finished strongly.

“I’d finally gotten him back, shown him he didn’t have the control he thought over me, over you and our relationship. He’d already ruined everything. So Remy was something he didn’t see coming. I’m not saying what I did was right or that why I did it makes the betrayal any less.”

The tears finally ran down her face but she ignored them.

“It was like drowning,” she gasped.

“It was like slowly disappearing and suddenly, I know it’s selfish but it wasn’t about you or John or Remy. I needed to be me. I needed to be on my own. As much as it hurt me to leave you, I needed to figure things out. I couldn’t face you.”

“I think I may have even hated you but I hated myself more.”

“Everyone was so preoccupied with Jean returning and with John’s appearance and the new recruits, I know maybe it’s not fair to say but it made me disappearing all the more easier.”

“But I still loved you,” she whispered and her voice cracked as she held a sob back.

“But what did that mean, after everything. I was disgusted that John had found a way to use my own power against me. So I ran. Figured I’d figure it out for myself and I only ended up falling down more. I hated my ‘gift’,” she spat.

“After a while,” she gasped and took a deep breath. “It was easy to pretend I had built a new life for myself. That being at Xavier’s hadn’t really meant anything; it only served as a reminder of my failures. It made it all the more easier to ignore my gift, pretend the subtle changes could be ignored because I wasn’t a superhero. They were of no importance.”

“But it didn’t end there did it?” he spoke through the darkness, his voice less cold but still far away.

She shook her head.

“I already told you how I started to experience your powers at frequent times but that wasn’t all I got from you.”

He turned sharply and let his gaze fall on her.

“I’ve never been able to decipher much from your memories. I always tried to respect your privacy. Usually there would be brief flashes or a sense of déjà vu and of course the nightmares.”

She felt him step closer towards her but she continued.

“Your memories began to be far more prominent then usual as I began to feel the physical changes. I thought it was to punish me.”

She sighed and rubbed her shoe absently in the ground around the pond.

“I was a mess.”

“My power just takes and takes and the only thing I ever truly wanted was what you gave back to me freely and in the end I was just as destructive as my power,” she laughed bitterly suddenly. “Hank’s right, what kind of excuse is that. I should be capable in my power.”

Logan was quiet and after a moment where she could no longer take the silence she spared a glance at him. His face was clear in the moonlight since he’d stepped closer but it was filled with anger.

“I’m sorry,” she gasped, feeling her eyes water again. She turned to leave but his warm hand on her shoulder stopped her immediately.

“Marie...” he whispered. His fingers curled around her shoulder and turned her around.

Tentatively, she grasped his forearm, feeling the corded muscle under his shirt. She could feel the anger vibrating through his body. She refused to look at him.

“You’re so angry,” she gasped.

“Yes,” he responded stiffly. “But not at you.”

She looked up at him through blurry eyes.

“Not entirely.”

She nodded.

“I’m angry that you’ve been dealt this shit in life, Marie. I’m angry that your power is such a struggle for you when it comes so easily to others. I’m pissed as hell at that piece of shit Pyro and if I ever run into him he won’t know what hit him. I’m angry that Xavier hadn’t picked up on it. I’m angry at myself for not noticing the struggle you were going through. I’m angry at myself for believing so easily that you just gave up.”

His hand tightened on her. “Maybe I can’t be angry at you for leaving but I’m sure as hell angry that you’ve spent the last three years running from this, pretending to be someone you’re not. You’re a caring person, Marie.”

Leaning his forehead against hers, he closed his eyes and breathed deeply. “I’m angry at you for pushing me away.”
His other hand moved around her waist.

“I don’t know how to fix this,” she whispered hurriedly.

His thumb brushed against her cheek and she looked up at him in awe, as his gaze was suddenly open to her.

“It ain’t goin’ be easy,” he whispered back.

“Logan, but what I did and...”

“I can’t make that better for you, Marie. The only thing I can do is be here with you. I can tell you how I feel but you’re the one who’s going to have to accept what you have going on in you and what happened. You made it sound all so simple but it wasn’t.”

She bit her lip and glanced away again.

“I know you telling me all this wasn’t to excuse it. You were right you know, that I don’t do betrayal but you were wrong about forgiveness. You taught me long ago to be a better man.”

“Look at me,” he emphasized as his hand slipped around to grab the back of her neck.

She did.

“I need you,” he whispered. “All of you,” he emphasized.

“No more runnin’,” he whispered against her lips. “Not ever.”

“Okay,” she gasped back.

“Understand then?” he asked more firmly.

She nodded. “Yes.”

“No more runnin’,” he spoke again before he captured her lips in a fierce kiss.

The tears from her eyes fell more freely as he kissed her, surprised that she was given such a chance, that he was kissing her with everything he had. Kissing her like the past three years hadn’t happened. Melting into his warm embrace she didn’t fight it as she responded, for once in a very long time she was free.

Breaking apart briefly, she caught the seeping animalistic look in his eyes as he pulled her closer. When he looked at her with such lust she felt lucky to know that even the animal in him loved her, viewed her as his mate.

She was surprised when his fingers touched her hand, untangling the chain from it. Un-wrapping it, he placed it over her head, where the tag settled between her breasts.

Reaching into his own pocket he pulled out the other half. Realization passed over her as he placed it over his own head.

“Logan,” she gasped. “There’s someone you should meet.”
‘If one door closes another shall open’ by noVa451
“Marie, I still don’t exactly understand.”

Sitting in the van parked on a suburban road, Logan and Rogue remained.

“I wish I could tell you it all, but I’m not so sure I should be the one to do it.”

“What does this have to do with me?”

“I stole what the Director considered to be a weapon.”

“And you destroyed it.”

Rogue turned and glanced at him with a sly frown, but her eyes were steady.

“No.”

Logan frowned and she could tell he was about to get angry so she interrupted him.

“You’ll understand in a minute, Logan,” she tried to calm him.

“I couldn’t destroy it because to me it wasn’t a weapon.”

Logan paused as he glanced at the window, his hands clenching the steering wheel. His mind appeared to be elsewhere for a minute before turning back to her.

“You never explained why you had that file on me,” he whispered.

She smiled genially.

“No, I didn’t.”

Reaching over she grabbed his hand. “Your memories revealed a lot of stuff to me. When I’d been at Xavier’s you know Kitty and I were assigned a lot of the research development stuff. I was pretty knowledgeable about the process of mutant labs. When I had flashes of your memories I was able to narrow it down where you had most likely been, it hadn’t just been Alkali Lake” she whispered gently.

His hand tightened on hers.

“I did some research and was able to acquire that stuff on you and well that’s when I ran into the Director and...”

“And the weapon,” he interrupted.

“Not a weapon,” she responded delicately. Slowly, she eased her hand out of his and opened her door.

She began to walk up towards the house they had been parked in front of; Logan was quick to follow her.

“I don’t like this,” he muttered.

“Think of this as your first step to trusting me again.”

She knocked on the door and although Logan didn’t reply, his hand touched the small of her back.

Footsteps approached and the door opened.

A young woman with a slender but very muscular figure answered. Her long straight brown hair reached her waist. Her eyes were a sharp hazel that were dotted with yellow flecks. Her stance was very stiff but as she opened the door further and her eyes focused on Rogue, she leant against the door with a smirk.

“Why hello, Rogue,” the other woman spoke. “It’s a bit late don’t you think.”

“Knew you’d be up,” Rogue shrugged back.

“No phone call?”

“When have I ever called?”

The woman smirked. “It’s been a while, Rogue I was getting worried.”

“No you weren’t,” Rogue sassed her back.

“Maybe a little,” the other woman replied, her eyes landed on Logan and her body language became stiff again.

Logan’s nostril’s flared.

Pretending to be oblivious to the sudden obvious tension Rogue entered without an invitation and the woman merely backed up. Logan closed the door laboriously behind them.

“Logan, this is Laura,” Rogue introduced.

“You can call me X-23, Wolverine.”

“Laura,” Rogue grated.

Laura rolled her eyes. “Sorry, Rogue’s been trying to teach me to be more personal.”

Logan’s head cocked to the side but before he could say anything Rogue gave him a tight smile.

“No comments, Logan,” she chided.

He merely raised an eyebrow in response.

“Who are you?” Logan asked bluntly.

Laura smirked. “I thought you had senses, Wolverine.”

“His name’s Logan, Laura.”

Laura eyed Rogue. “To you maybe.

“Who are you?” Logan spoke again, each word emphasized.

“I’m your clone,” she smirked. “Hi, Daddy, what no hug?”

Rogue sensed Logan going very still as the air between the three of them became very tense.

Abruptly, he grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to the door. Leaning in his hot breath grazed her ear.

“What exactly is going on here, Rogue?” he hissed.

Laura crossed her arms and smirked again. “I’ll be in the kitchen.”

“Be nice, Laura,” Rogue called not breaking eye contact with Logan.

“Yes, Rogue.”

“Well?” Logan grated as Laura left.

Brushing his grip off, she spoke calmly. “When I was able to find files on you at a facility in Canada I was able to find clues that lead me to believe research involving you was still being done. That led me to the Director and I found out and had guessed that after having a mutant of your calibre in their hands they most likely had retained all kind of samples.”

“The weapon was Laura, Logan.”

“X-23, the only successful clone of you. Obviously, not exactly. She is the female version. I was smart enough to know that entering the facility on my own would be extremely dangerous...”

“Stupid,” Logan interrupted with a growl.

“I observed the place for some time Logan, learned the habits of some of the guards. Touching one at odd times in town on their time off, eventually I learned of the transfer of Laura to another checking point. They were constantly moving her around, making sure she never got to comfortable. It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

“They were using her. She is no doubt what Magneto was after, he has contact’s everywhere. I don’t think he understood exactly what the ‘weapon’ was but I think he had his theories. He’d be just another person trying to use her for his own means no doubt. But no one else knows, Logan. I brought her here so she could have a life. Detroit had been a decoy. Hank, however, has met her; she needed to be checked out. I think he has his suspicions but he’s kept quiet. She’d been particularly feral at the time but more than willing to escape.”

Logan looked ill for a brief moment before his usual anger settled in, but in no way directed at her.

“You can’t change what happened to her. She’s not looking for you to be her daddy, literally. In fact you’ll find she might even hate you a bit. She’s seventeen Logan, but she is much older than she seems. She knows a lot about you though. Maybe you could help each other.”

Leaning up she kissed him briefly on the lips and rubbed his chest. Confusion was settling in as well, she could tell.

“Go talk to her.”

Reaching for the door she saw his gaze was already focused on where Laura had disappeared to.

“I will wait outside. Try and keep it civil though, this is her house now and the rent ain’t cheap.”

“Okay,” he murmured and she watched him walk stiffly away.
‘Front porch confessions’ by noVa451
The front door opened slowly and Logan stepped out onto the porch. Light danced across the wood planks briefly highlighting his shadowed form before disappearing as he shut the door. He dropped into the seat beside her with nothing but a heavy sigh.

“Did you do this because you thought you owed me?”

“No, I did it because I wanted to. Because of you. John could never change that,” she answered. “I’d do anything for you,” she whispered. “You deserved to know.”

“She doesn’t know you died trying to protect her, does she?” he asked gruffly.

“Don’t hold it against her, Logan,” she responded sternly.

“Oh, no darlin’ I hold it against you for doing a one-man suicide mission.”

“One-woman,” she corrected.

“Cut the shit, Marie.”

She was quiet.

“Maybe not because you felt you owed me, but how about miss-placed guilt.”

“You think that I would have just left her there if I didn’t have guilt?”

“No,” he muttered.

“Yeah, I wasn’t thinking straight and yes it got me killed but I couldn’t leave her there knowing their intentions. I’m sorry if that makes you uncomfortable. I was given a lead and I followed it.”

He reached over and grabbed her hand in the darkness. “You’re not alone, Marie.” Pausing a moment he breathed out a quiet, “Thank-you.”

She squeezed his hand back. “Smart decisions from now on,” he directed.

“Yes, sir.”

He growled low in playful annoyance. After a moment of comfortable silence his grip tightened.

“They could have captured you, Rogue,” he spoke up, suddenly far more serious.

“I know,” she whispered.

“And then what would have happened?” he remarked sternly, she could tell his thoughts were turning dark at the possibilities. “Don’t think they would have been as cuddly or as understanding as Hank.”

“I wouldn’t even have noticed if you’d been gone, wouldn’t have been able to tell,” he muttered darkly.

“Logan, please,” she implored him. “It makes me sick to think it now. But that’s over. I know I was lucky in all this. I’m lucky that you came.”

Logan leant his head back. “You’re lucky Pietro isn’t as resentful as he pretends to be.” Leaning forward again he added. “I’m lucky too.”

“So is she okay in there?” she asked, changing the subject.

“I don’t think much fazes that girl.”

“She may be a well-trained mutant soldier whose childhood was stolen but she does feel things, Logan.”

“I know,” he whispered back, understandingly. “She wants to build her own life, but I can tell she’s still having trouble adjusting. She definitely has a stubborn streak in her though.”

Rogue snorted and bent forward as she laughed slyly at him in the darkness.

“I don’t see how that’s funny, Rogue,” he growled, pretending to be offended.

“Of course not,” she smiled back.

Rubbing both his hands over his face he sighed deeply.

“This is all incredibly un-nerving,” he muttered.

“You wanted to say ‘fucked up’, didn’t you?”

“That too.”

A faraway look skirted across his face. “She showed me the bone claws.”

Leaning over tentatively, her movements a little stiff she laid her hand over his knuckles. “Having them doesn’t make you a monster, or Laura. They are a part of who you are, what you are.”

“An animal,” he muttered darkly.

“No,” she spoke breathlessly as a kind smile danced along her face. “A mutant. Simple as that. And last time I checked you’re not the only mutant on this Earth.”

He snorted but the small lines drawn around his frown disappeared as he relaxed back in his seat.

“She says she doesn’t need me or want me for anything but she at least knows she’s going to need help sometimes. She said I should hold on to you.”

“Hold on to me?”

“I think it was her way of saying she’d stay in touch. Through you at least. Apparently, it’s genetic to want to be attached to you.”

Leaning over she pecked his sideburns affectionately.

“You’re such a romantic.”

He turned sharply to nip at her lips playfully.

“Marie.”

“Yes?”

“I think you need to stay here with Hank as much as possible.”

She tensed but didn’t pull away.

“You’re not out of trouble yet and Hank says he can really help you succeed with your powers if you allow the time for it.”

“Alright,” she whispered unsteadily, faced with the truth of the matter.

“And I will be here,” he responded. “I’ll be with you along the way and I won’t be oblivious like before.”

“Logan,” she began about argue the last point.

“We both made mistakes, Marie. Let us both heal them.”

“Okay,” she answered with a sweet smile. Leaning in, she kissed him. Shrieking suddenly with surprised glee, he had reached over and pulled her into his lap.

She smiled against his lips in pure genuine mirth.

“Please, tell me the two of you are not making out on my front porch,” a voice called down from the top window.

“You’re old enough,” Logan growled back. “Accept it.”

“Asshole,” Laura called down. She closed the window but both of them heard the quiet chuckle she’d let out.

“She sure has your vocabulary skills,” Rogue remarked.

Logan smirked at her before standing up.

“This has been one hell of a week,” he muttered shaking his head in surprise.

“You can say that again.”

Although his smile was still cracked she spotted the warm crinkle in his eye and slipping her fingers between his she hoped that spark could build between them again.

“Hell of half a lifetime,” she whispered affectionately.
‘Time heals these wounds but the scars won’t be forgotten’ by noVa451
4 Months Later

It was a bright day in the park. Shadows darting across the ground rippled through the lush trees trying in vain to grow but the sky was all to welcoming to the dazzling light. The greenery was lush and the birds that could be heard were succumbing to its wonderful depths. The place was almost serene. As serene as it was one lone black cloud hung where a building storm could be felt. The lone figure in his grey trench coat was oblivious to the effect he had.

“Hello, Eric,” Rogue spoke as she slid into the seat across from the older man. He sat back in surprise but Rogue paid no attention, her eyes gazing around the secluded park. Two older men were playing a game of chess a few feet away.

Appearing relaxed in the seat across from Eric, she allowed him a moment to accept the fact she’d just so blatantly sat down across from him, she moved one of the chess pieces forward.

“Rogue,” he gasped and then suddenly got his bearings.

“My dear,” he added more sophisticatedly.

She smirked at him. “Surprised to see me?”

“I think in any circumstance I would be surprised to see an X-men whether former or not in my presence so freely.”

“I was thinking more along the lines of the fact that last you heard I was dead and you were so rudely chasing my body down.”

He smiled at her.

“Where would you get such an idea, my child?”

She indicated the board in front of them and he made his move. “Your children.”

His hand faltered as he secured the chess piece.

“Ah,” he responded. “Well I can see you’re not dead.”

“Yes, I suppose you’re intelligent enough to see that.”

His smile faded by a degree.

“I’m no longer a child, Eric,” she began coolly, moving another piece across the board. “You like to think everyone no matter age is below you. Surprising, considering the life you experienced so young.”

His eyes turned dark but before he spoke she could tell he’d spotted the figure a few feet behind her that had revealed himself. Logan leant against a far tree, his eyes narrowed on Magneto with a glare.

“I was about to say how wilful you’ve become Rogue but I see you still have need of a protector.”

She smiled. “Is it really such a weakness to you to depend on other people? I know that was not always so, Eric. I know your loves and your losses.”

“You speak of nonsense.”

He moved another piece on the board.

“I don’t think you fully understood the extent of my power when you forced me to drain you, because I didn’t just get your power, Eric,” she stressed his name. “I got your memories.”

Leaning in, she was aware of Logan standing straight up at the movement but she wasn’t afraid.

“I know far more about you then anyone on this Earth, perhaps even Charles. I do not fear you, I pity you.”

She felt the magnetic pull as he abruptly pulled Logan forward and had him on his knees before their table. The two men playing chess gasped in surprise and ran. Logan growled dangerously but Rogue sat still as Eric smirked at her.

“I really thought you two were smarter than this, to take me on knowing what I can do to your lover here.”

Rogue’s eyes did flare at that and Magneto smiled.

“Ah, so I am right to assume that Wolverine has taken you as his lover again.”

“How poetic,” he spat and the pull on Logan tightened as Magneto made his claws shoot out. Logan snarled.

“Stop it,” Rogue commanded and suddenly Magneto found himself being thrown back into his chair, the metallic ornaments on it lengthening and flaring out as they wrapped around him like rope, trapping him.

Logan stood up with a smirk, as he shook himself, his claws receding back under his own power.

Magneto’s eyes were wide in surprise and she could sense even fear, she tried not to smile.

“That’s not possible,” he gasped stubbornly.

“It sure as hell is, old man,” Logan snapped triumphantly.

“You have no idea what you did when you made me drain you, Eric and you will forever be concerned of the consequences.”

She felt the magnetic pull in the air and shot her own hand out beside her, sensing the metallic tables Eric had sent her way. She batted them away like flies.

“Time has made you weary, Eric. I do not fall prey to the passage of time; your power runs through me filled with youthful abundance. Would you really like to test the limits of my powers, all of my powers?”

His fear jumped up a notch and a feral smirk appeared on Logan’s face as his nostrils flared.

“You would have eventually learned that I was not dead and I know you’re still curious about whatever tip you got about the weapon I acquired. But here’s how it’s going to be Eric,” she paused and tightened the metallic ropes as he struggled. “You have seen just a fraction of what I can do, so this is a well placed warning, do not get in our way, do not try to hunt us down again and whatever you know, it will be best you forget it.”

“I think you’ve gotten through to him, darlin’,” Logan remarked as Magneto’s eyes remained wide.

“I’d like to hear him agree,” she responded coldly.

After a moment Eric struggled again and she could sense him trying to battle her own magnetic control with his but he failed.

Gasping, he stopped struggling and glanced up at her in defeat. “I understand.”

“Good,” Logan snarled and stepped back.

“By the way Eric,” she spoke up as she moved another piece on the board. “I win.”

“You, sure do darlin’.” Logan smirked as he draped his arm around her and proceeded to direct them away.

Smiling at him she grabbed his hand and kissed his knuckles as she rubbed them tenderly.

“Wait!” Magneto called behind them. “Let me go.”

Logan raised an eyebrow at her. “You still controlling it?”

“I’ll let him go once we get to the parking lot.”

“That’s just plain mean, darlin’.” He laughed.

She pouted. “He hurt you.”

“Only a little,” he responded puffing his chest out a little.

She laughed warmly. “Come on sugah, let’s go.”


***


Rogue grazed her hand across the dashboard that was warmed by the bright sun.

“You picked a nice truck,” she announced to Logan as he drove. Turning she glanced over her shoulder at his bike in the back of the bed.

Taking the cigar out of his mouth he smiled at her.

“I’d take anything as long as it’s not a van.”

She laughed lightly. “Can’t have been that bad.”

“I’m not going to miss Jaime drooling on me every time he fell asleep.”

“I guess that’s true,” she smirked. “Although the truck doesn’t give you that soccer mom edge you had with the van.”

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing as he narrowed his eyes at her.

“So where to?” she asked curiously.

“I thought I’d take you to Alaska.”

“Really?” she asked delighted.

Logan couldn’t fight the smile that formed on his face.

“Really.”

“Besides you deserve a vacation after all that work with Hank.”

Shifting over she nestled against him. “I think Hank’s going to miss you, he sure got use to you always being in the way.”

“Hey, I wasn’t in the way...” he began but smirked at the look on her face knowing she was sassing him.

“Besides I told him we’d be back, it’s Laura’s birthday in a bit.”

“She really hated it when you told her she had to pick a date and explained it was to celebrate her.”

He shrugged. “Part of the world.”

“It kind of reminded me of when I made you pick a date. In fact I think the conversation may have been word for word.”

“You enjoy it far too much that I have to deal with her stubbornness.”

“Oh yes,” she laughed. “Poor Hank though.”

“What?” he asked surprised. “Laura and Hank get along great.”

“They did until she learned your nickname for him. She always calls him furball now. I think she even started referring to him as simply ‘fuzz’ all on her own.”

Logan chuckled.

“You’re terrible,” she teased.

“Hold this for a moment, darlin’,” he asked as he passed her his cigar. Leaning across he flipped open a compartment and took out a map.

Shifting back up in his seat he smiled as Rogue took a puff on the cigar and passed it back to him.

Putting it in his mouth he rolled it back and forth as he tasted her on it and draped his arm around her.

It was a half n hour into the drive after Logan had figured out the route they would take that she decided to approach a certain topic.

“Logan, I know we’ve talked about most of the big stuff and set things straight but what about going back to the X-Men?”

She noticed he gripped the steering wheel tightly but the arm draped around her snuggled deeper against her.

“What about it?”

“Well are we ever going to go back? Going to talk to them?”

“Why?”

“Why?” she gasped. “I dunno, maybe because I’d like to fix the last perception they have of me.”

“They do care about you, Marie, for the most part.”

“ They were my friends.”

“Would you rather I change course?” he asked abruptly, his voice was clipped.

“No.”

Leaning in she ran her hand across his chest. “I don’t mean any time soon. I’m just wondering how you feel about it all. I want to spend the rest of my life with you Logan. I know what that means. But now that I have control of my powers, I could do a lot of good with them.”

Logan was quiet as he kept driving, she could tell he was thinking hard.

“We’ll go back eventually but I don’t know in what capacity.”

“What’s that mean?”

“It means I understand they are our friends, but I don’t want you fighting Xavier’s cause.”

“Logan,” she gasped in disbelief.

“I’m serious,” he responded not caring at her shock. “I’m not trying to tell you want to do, but I want you to think about it. You almost didn’t come through the growth of your powers, adding more to them no matter how much control you have now, even knowing Hank cleared you would make me worry. How do you think Xavier would react to the fact that you can now keep powers?”

“Logan, Xavier is...”

“A good man,” he finished. “I know that but even he becomes blind to his own agenda. When we go back it will be on our own terms. I’m not saying we’re not going to help out when we can; I just think it’s time to live our own lives.”

Listening to him, she rested her head on his shoulder.

“I’m a selfish bastard, I know,” he muttered.

“No,” she whispered back. “You’re a smart bastard.”

He chuckled. Glancing up she grazed his sideburns. “You know I love you, right?”

“Yes,” he answered with a knowing smile. “I love you.”

Cradling his chin she gave him a quick kiss.

“Just so you know,” she began. “We’re going to have to send postcards to Wanda, Pietro and Jaime when we get to Alaska.”

Shaking his head side to side Logan groaned and Rogue laughed in delight as the bright sun marked the road ahead of them. Rogue’s beaming smile danced in the rays of light, the warmth spreading out from her and marching forward into the horizon. A small reserved smile on Logan’s face matched hers in the welcoming day and although each of their eyes held a darkness reserved for regret and pain in their orbs, the small touch of his fingers brushing along her white bangs as his arm draped across her was enough of a subtle touch to know that second chances may be hard to come by but not out of reach.

This story archived at http://wolverineandrogue.com/wrfa/viewstory.php?sid=3119