Rogue sighed, shifting in the seat of the jet. Leather was so uncomfortable on long plane rides. Scott and Storm were at the controls while Hank McCoy and Jean were in the front seats right behind the pilots. Colossus, Kitty, Bobby, and Jubilee were in the seats behind them. Rogue, as usual sat in the back on her own. Jubilee turned around in her seat and grinned at Rogue. “You okay back there chica? I’m hearing a lot of sighing.”

“I hate long plane rides on missions. I’d rather just get there and get back home,” Rogue replied with a frown.

“So would the rest of us Rogue,” Bobby said, looking back at her. He faced forward again, glancing at Kitty. Rogue rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest, sighing again. Jubilee gave Rogue a sympathetic look, and then turned forward again.

Rogue’s eyes wandered over to the seat next to her. It sat empty, as it always did, but she wished for once, it could be filled. That seat was just like the void she felt within her. She felt like something was missing and she could never quite figure out what it was. It wasn’t touch anymore… no, she had mastered that quite a while ago. It might be sex considering she’d never had any, but Rogue doubted it.



“Rogue, Colossus, you take the left hallway and check all the rooms there. We’ll get the rest. Take care of any guards in the way. We have to save the others in this place,” Scott said quietly. The teams split up. Colossus took the lead and began ripping doors open, looking for survivors. Most of what they found was already rotted corpses.

Rogue felt the bile rising in her stomach. With each open door, the need to vomit became more urgent. She took a deep breath and looked up. Colossus had finally opened a door to a room that didn’t smell. There were five kids inside, some looking way too skinny to be healthy and many had horrible scars on their arms and necks. The kids cringed back in fear when the two X-Men entered the room.

“It’s okay; we’re here to help you. My friend Pete’s going to get you out of here, alright,” Rogue said, doing her best to reassure the kids. They nodded, but hesitantly got up and followed Colossus. Rogue moved out the door and looked at the last door of the hallway. It was a much stronger door, made of metal. Instead of it just being a lock, there was a keypad to the left. ‘Whoever was in this room must have caused some trouble or was very valuable,’ Rogue thought. She moved to the door, studying the keypad. Some of the numbers were already worn down. She punched them in a couple of times in different combinations. The last one she put in resulted in a female, computerized voice saying, “Access granted.” The door slid open. Rogue stepped in and looked around.

The room was almost entirely pitched black except for one dim light in the middle of the room. She looked around, squinting her eyes. Rogue couldn’t see anyone. “Is someone in here? I need to know if you’re – OOF!” Out of nowhere, something slammed against her, pushing her against the wall. In the dim light, she could see the shape of a man, his hand gripping her throat tightly. “Please… let me go… we’re… here to help… you.” His grip didn’t loosen, but a low growl came from him. “You’re… choking me.” He leaned in, his grip loosening just slightly around her neck. Rogue could hear him sniffing. ‘He’s… smelling me? What the hell,’ Rogue thought.

He pulled back and she could feel his eyes on her for a few moments before he released her. He grunted and took a step back, cocking his head to the side. “We have to get you out of here, follow me,” Rogue said, moving towards the door. When he didn’t follow, Rogue turned around. He was still standing in the shadows. “Come on, we don’t have time for this. Let’s go,” she said a little more urgently, moving back and reaching out for his hand. Her eyes were on the door. As soon as she felt his fingers slide into hers, she tightened her grip on his hand and bolted out of the room.

“There you are! The others are outside already,” Scott said impatiently. The man at the other end of Rogue’s hand stopped immediately, jerking Rogue’s arm back. The man behind her growled and Rogue turned to look at him. Her breath caught in her throat. He was handsome… no, beyond handsome. His dark brown, almost black, wild hair came up into two spikes. The man had chiseled features. He had a wide set jaw with sideburns that came down to his chin. It was beginning to turn into a beard. His mouth was pulled up in a snarl… but his eyes… God his eyes were intense. A beautiful hazel color and they seemed to just see right through the person he was looking at.

“Hey,” she said gently. His eyes moved to her. “It’s okay. We’re here to help you. We’re going to get out of here, okay?” He grunted again. Scott took the lead, Rogue following closely behind with the man running after her. Rogue knew everything would be okay when they got home. She was unsure about the silent man behind her, but she knew everything would be back to normal… or at least she hoped.



“Goddamit! Hold still,” Scott yelled. There was a loud crash as the doors to the infirmary opened. A body slammed into rogue and the two went crashing to the floor, the other body landing on top of her. Her head hit the floor and a pounding headache was already making the face before her swim in her vision. She blinked a few times until her eyes focused on the man from the compound. He still had no shirt, but Scott managed to get him into sweat pants instead of the ratty, old pants he had been wearing. Rogue stared up at him for a moment. The man’s expression changed from one of anger to something softer. She couldn’t place the look, even with her large vocabulary as an English teacher. “Come on, we just need you to put a shirt on,” Scott said, coming out of the infirmary, just as the man was standing up and pulling Rogue to her feet.

The man growled, turning on Scott, but not moving. Rogue moved around Logan and stepped towards Scott. She took the shirt out of Scott’s hand. “Let me try Scooter. You take a break and head upstairs.”
“I’m not leaving you alone with… this… animal. He could hurt you,” Scott said, frowning, though his glasses certainly took away from the ferocity of it.

“Cyclops, I hardly think he’s an animal. He stands straighter than you do. Compared to him, you might as well be a knuckle dragger,” Rogue said, glaring at Scott, “Now go. I can take care of myself. Was it not you who trained me?”

Scott huffed, glaring at the man. “Fine, but if he tries anything, send Jean a mental call.” Rogue simply nodded, crossing her arms in front of her. Scott moved away down the hall, watching the other man who was still glaring at him. He stepped into the elevator and disappeared from sight.

Rogue sighed slightly and turned towards the man, holding up the shirt. He backed away slightly, staring at her. Rogue looked up at him, then folded the shirt up and held a hand out to him. He looked down at it, then back at her before slowly putting his much larger hand in her smaller one. She led him to another elevator. When the door slid open, he jumped back, growling. “It’s okay. It won’t hurt you,” Rogue said, stepping inside. The man stared at her again, and then hesitantly stepped in.

The walk to her room was slow going. It was as if the man had never seen most of the things in this building and when a group of kids came running at them to greet Rogue, she had to stop him from pummeling them all to a pulp. She tried asking him questions, but he remained silent except for an occasional grunt. It was as if he didn’t know how to speak.

Once in her room, Rogue made him sit down on the edge of her bed. She set the shirt down on her dresser, and then pulled her desk chair up right in front of him and sat in it, facing him. “Okay, what’s your name?” Silence. “Do you have one,” she asked. The man was silent and he just stared at her, his eyes roving over her face. “Guess we’ll have to get a book of names out and go down the list… Can you talk?”

Again, the man said nothing, but he leaned in close to her face, reaching a hand out and fingering her white streak. Rogue couldn’t help but stare into his hazel eyes. They were the most intense eyes she’d ever seen. A blush covered her cheeks. Rogue had never been stared at like this, not like she was being looked right through, straight down to her soul. His attention and trust in her was so strange. He seemed to trust no one else at the mansion.

Rogue noticed a certain sadness in his eyes, his expression constantly haunted looking. She frowned sadly. “What did they do to you,” she asked almost in a whisper. His fingers moved from her hair to her cheekbone, trailing down her cheek and across her chin to her lips. He traced them with his fingers, Rogue blushing a deeper red. His hand then trailed slowly down her neck, but his hand stopped at her collar bone when Rogue brought her own hand up to stop it. His eyes met hers and he slowly leaned back.

“I… uh… let’s get this shirt on you, okay,” she said, her voice wavering from the contact of his skin on hers. She stood and picked up the shirt and turned back towards him. He didn’t move as she helped him get the shirt on.



Whatever you do, I'll do it too
Show me everything and tell me how
It all means something
And yet nothing to me

I can see there's so much to learn
It's all so close and yet so far
I see myself as people see me
Oh, I just know there's something
bigger out there

I wanna know, can you show me
I wanna know about these
strangers like me
Tell me more, please show me
Something's familiar about these strangers like me

It took her few weeks, but she eventually got him talking. He was using small words and uncompleted sentences, but he was speaking none-the-less. Rogue had gotten book of names out. She read each make name to him. He seemed disgusted with each name she rambled off… until she came to the name ‘Logan’. He perked up and moved over to her side, leaning in close to her and the book. Rogue pointed the name out to him.

“You like the name Logan,” she asked.

“Yes,” he replied.

Rogue smiled and looked at him. “Logan it is then. You’ve got to get used to being called that.” Logan looked up at her, their faces inches apart. Rogue was sure she’d never get over how amazing his eyes were. He stared at her, as usual.

He reached a hand out, his eyes moving down to his hand as he placed it on her shoulder. His warm fingers trailed down her bare skin until he reached her own hand. Rogue shivered. The trail of warmth his fingers left on her skin sent a chill down her spine. A blush rose on her cheeks as he leaned in closer to her. A smirk played on his lips, but then the door opened and Scott came in. Logan pulled back and turned to snarl at Scott for barging in.
“Scott! Doesn’t anyone know how to knock these days,” Rogue asked, irritated that he had interrupted.
Scott glowered. “It’s time for him to start learning how to fix the cars. See what he’s good at.” Rogue sighed and nodded. “Bring him down to the garage in three minutes.” Scott left, leaving the door open.

Rogue sighed again then stood, holding out a hand for him to take. “Come on big guy. Let’s get you down there.” Logan looked from her hand up to her face before gripping her hand gently in his. They both went out the door and headed down to the garage.


Every gesture, every move that she makes
Makes me feel like never before
Why do I have
This growing need to be beside her

Ooo, these emotions I never knew
Of some other world far beyond this place
Beyond the trees, above the clouds
I see before me a new horizon

I wanna know, can you show me
I wanna know about these strangers like me
Tell me more, please show me
Something's familiar about these strangers like me

Rogue was sitting on one of the tool benches writing in her plan book. She glanced up to find Logan’s eyes on her. She blushed and smiled slightly before looking back at her book.

Scott grabbed Logan’s chin and directed it to look back down at the engine so he could continue explaining. He didn’t see Logan’s eyes move back to Rogue.



The months rolled by. Logan had become a skilled mechanic at the mansion, even better than Scott, which only infuriated the fearless leader. He had thrown a tantrum about the whole thing in front of Jean, who had only told him that it was a good sign that Logan was finally coming around.

Logan was speaking more with Rogue’s help and he came to trust more people… but not like he did with her. Rogue was special. Jean even pointed out that Logan and her spent so much time together and they were nearly inseparable. Storm saw it too. She felt it was endearing. Jean wasn’t too sure how she felt about it. Rogue was still young and the man was rough, harsh even… but he had taken a liking to her and if she was the only one he felt he could trust, then they really had no choice. Scott on the other hand was dead set against it. He took any chance he could to get Rogue away from him, but his plans never really worked. Logan always offered to help her and she’d take it. There were times when he’d disappear for a few hours into the woods, but somehow, Rogue understood his need to get away. She didn’t push him.

In the meantime, Scott noticed tools were beginning to disappear. First a saw, then a hammer and nails. After a while, the stockpile of wood they had to make any needed repairs needed began to disappear too. This irritated him more, which made him unbearable in the danger room.

Come with me now to see my world
Where there's beauty beyond your dreams
Can you feel the things I feel
Right now, with you
Take my hand
There's a world I need to know

Logan found Rogue sitting in the library reading a book in the front window, the sunset light making the room like it was on fire. He grabbed the book and set it aside. Rogue gasped and tried to grab it from him, but he blocked the book from her reach before picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder. “Hey! Logan, put me down! What’re you doing,” she yelled, laughing all the while.

Logan grinned wolfishly. “I wanna show you something.”

“Can I not see it from my own two feet,” she asked, propping her head up on her hands, her elbows resting against his back. Logan didn’t reply so Rogue sighed and just gave up any struggle to get down. He carried her outside towards the woods. He gently set her down about halfway down the path. “Where are we going,” she asked.

Logan grabbed her hand and smiled. They walked about another hundred yards before the trail was covered over by hanging tree branches. Logan pulled them back and let Rogue go in first. It was a clearing with one tree dead center. Up in the tree was a complete, wooden tree house. Rogue gasped and looked back at Logan. “It was falling apart, so I repaired it.”

“Logan… it’s… amazing,” Rogue said, gazing up at the tree house.

“Wanna go in it?” Rogue nodded, so Logan grabbed her hand and led her to the other side of the tree. A ladder led up to a trap door in the floor of the small house. Rogue climbed up it and opened the trap door and pulled herself up inside. Logan followed her closely and closed the door behind him. A pile of blankets sat in a corner. Part of the ceiling wasn’t there and Rogue looked from it to Logan questioningly. “It’s for… if you want to look at the stars,” he replied, getting fidgety suddenly. Rogue smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. Logan looked surprised at first, but then he hugged her body to him, nuzzling her neck. After a few seconds, Rogue pulled back slightly, as did Logan. They stared at each other, his intense hazel ones locking with her chocolate brown ones.

Logan lifted his hand and let it trail down her cheek. He leaned in, his lips brushing against hers. Rogue closed her eyes when he did it again. Her hand trailed along the back of his neck, her fingers running along the nape of his neck. Rogue pulled back and slowly pulled her shirt off, not breaking eye contact with him. Her hands moved to his flannel and she pulled it off his arms and tossed it aside along with her shirt. He stared at her as she worked his wife beater off, only lifting his harms long enough for her to pull it off.


Their legs were entwined together and they were still holding onto each other. They had laid a blanket out beneath them and had pulled another blanket overtop. Rogue smiled up at Logan, pulling her naked body closer to his. Logan fingered one of the white streaks before trailing his finger down her cheek.

“I love you Logan,” Rogue said.

Logan stared at her for a moment, a small smile spreading across his lips. “I love you too Marie.”

I wanna know, can you show me
I wanna know about these strangers like me
Tell me more, please show me
Something's familiar about these strangers like me

... I wanna know

Rogue looked over at the leather-clad mutant in the seat across the aisle. She smiled at him when he turned his head to look at her. He returned it with a wolfish smirk. Rogue didn’t feel like anything was missing anymore. Logan was there and he had her heart.