The mission was going exactly as planned, meaning there was no risk of their cover being blown. There was nothing of importance to report back to headquarters. And the couple across the street they’d been tasked with watching and keeping safe was routinely going about their lives, completely unaware that they were being watched by several interested parties. The past eight days had crept along, completely uneventful. And, if Rogue were being completely honest, boring as all hell.

She sighed as she put down the high-powered parabolic microphone and tried to rub the stiffness out of her neck. Surveillance was not her forte. She wasn’t cut out for the long play, the stillness and watchfulness of undercover work. She was better in the moment, acting on her instincts, all couple dozen of them.

Rogue had loudly protested the assignment given to her by Scott, insisting that Kitty or Jubilee were better suited to this type of work. Even Jean, she’d supplied as an alternate at the last minute, would have been better at this suburbia surveillance shit than Rogue. But Scott had shaken his head and said Kitty would be running the back up surveillance systems, Jubilee was too loud for this type of work and he’d muttered out of the corner of his mouth that Jean was busy. Rogue had rolled her eyes at the blatant hopefulness on her face had disappeared in a cold instant at Scott’s announcement. Rogue just didn’t get that relationship. And she didn’t care to.

“Not any of my goddamn business,� she murmured as she lifted the mic back up to try and catch some chatter from the house across the street. As she tried to isolate the distinctive voice of Kyle Edwards, she replayed the mission assignment over in her mind.

Scott had called a meeting with the Alpha team a week ago. He and the Professor had learned of a developing weapons threat that necessitated immediate covert action. A division of the government had been working on a type of energy beam that would render a mutant’s powers useless for an unknown amount of time. The government’s story was that it was for the protection of all; humans and mutants alike. But the whispered rumors from the weapon’s developers was that the eventual plan was to arm all Department of Mutant Affairs officers with said weapon in the hopes of detaining mutants. Permanently.

A low rumble of anger had emanated from where Logan had stood in the corner of the briefing room at the announcement. Rogue had met his eyes for a fleeting moment. He was pissed. No question. The line of his jaw was clenched tight, his arms were crossed at his chest, and his fists were curling reflexively. Rogue knew he didn’t like it when talk of captivity came up. He’d had more than enough of that type of repressive bullshit.

They needed to exploit the developer’s weak link; one Kyle Edwards, in the hopes of understanding exactly how far into development the weapon was, and, Scott had droned on, identifying which senior officials were sponsoring the more ominous aspects of the weapon as opposed to which of the researchers were just mere cogs in the giant wheel of government corruption.

“Doesn’t matter if they’re just’ doin’ their job,� Logan had growled. “They’re complicit.�

“Logan,� Charles had interjected. “We must ensure we explore all of the facts. We cannot just go about judging those individuals who may be innocent of the wider wrongdoing by their superiors.�

“Why not?� Logan had continued. “They’re doin’ the same goddamn thing to us. Judging us by that bullshit The Brotherhood pulls.�

“We have to be better than that,� Scott said. “Better than what they think we are.�

“Don’t mean I have to like it,� Logan rumbled sulkily.

Logan’s resuming of pacing alongside the back wall signaled the briefing could continue, and Scott carried on with their plans.

“We need two of you to pose as their neighbors. Not only are you going to be observing their behavior, but you’re going to need to get in close with them. See what you can find out about Kyle Edwards’ intentions. And,� he’d continued giving Logan a critical eye, “You’re going to need to keep them safe. We’re not the only interested parties here. We don’t want this guy to fall into the wrong hands.�

Logan snorted in response, but didn’t offer any further comment.

“Wait,� Rogue said as looked around the table and began to realize exactly who was going to be involved in the operation. “You want Logan and I to what – pretend to be all friendly and get to know this guy?�

“Yep,� Scott responded, the barest hint of a smile curving his lips. “You two are going to pose as the Morgans. Lily,� Scott said as he glanced at Rogue

“What?� She interjected angrily. “Why not-“

“-And Jack,� Scott finished as he nodded at Logan.

“-Kitty or Jubilee? I’m no good at this undercover stuff,� Rogue continued petulantly as she folded her arms.

Logan merely grunted his assent.

“Kitty is better with the tech, and Jubilee doesn’t have the right temperament to blend in.�

“And Logan does?� Rogue asked, incredulous.

“Logan,� Scott said with an edge, “Is the only one who’s available that can fit in. I’m out,� he said pointing to his visor, “So are Kurt and Hank, Piotr is on assignment in South Africa with Ororo, and Bobby is running tech with Kitty.�

“What about Remy?� She’d thrown in as a last ditch effort. “He and I could-�

“Oh yeah,� Logan had growled interrupting her, “Those red fuckin’ eyes are just screamin’ normalcy.�

Rogue had glared back at Logan at this, thoroughly fed up at his continued blatant annoyance with Remy.

“Why not Jean? She’s available,� Rogue continued sweetly as she turned back toward Scott. She was determined to avoid having to play house with Logan. Their easy friendship had become strained over the last several years. And in classic Logan fashion, instead of telling her exactly what the hell was wrong, he’d shut himself off, refusing to talk about it with her. He’d cut her out, and Rogue was left out in the cold, without the trust and friendship she’d come to rely on for the past eight years. She didn’t know what she’d done to cause him to shut her out of his life, and the more time that went on, the more bitter about it she became.

“Yeah,� Logan added, “Jean could go,� he said with a smirk directed at Scott.

Rogue rolled her eyes at the hopeful look on Jean’s face and had to quickly stifle a laugh as her hopes were all too apparently dashed when Scott responded with a curt, “She’s busy.�

Two days later, Rogue had found herself moving in to a two-story brick colonial mini mansion in the affluent neighborhood of Great Falls, Virginia, slightly shell-shocked as the hired movers brought in Lily and Jack Morgan’s belongings which filled the nearly six-thousand square foot space with three years’ worth of accumulated belongings.

After the last couch had been deposited, the last dish unwrapped, the last of the movers had left shutting the door behind him, leaving Rogue and Logan staring awkwardly at each other in the vast foyer.

“Um,� Rogue said hesitantly as she took in the unfamiliar furnishings. “You hungry?�

Logan had grunted, grabbed his leather jacket from where it had been slung over the back of an overstuffed chair, and muttered something about grabbing a drink, closing the garage door behind him as he left. Rogue heard the smooth purr of their borrowed Maserati as he turned down the street and drove somewhere in search of whiskey.

“Guess that’s a no,� Rogue had said bitterly, the echoes of the words bouncing back at her in the strange space.

She’d grabbed her own set of keys and headed out in search of the nearest grocery store. “Wine,� she muttered. “Wine and some really good cheese.�

Browsing the aisles of the nearest Harris Teeter, Rogue decided on how she would exact her revenge against Logan’s petulant behavior of abandoning her on what was supposed to be their first night of undercover work.

“Some really good cheese,� she repeated, “The smelliest damn cheese I can find.�

After a very helpful conversation with one of the workers at the cheese counter, Rogue left the store in slightly better spirits, a bottle of white wine, some imported prosciutto and peppered salami, a hunk of rustic bread, and the most amazing, horrifically pungent Époisses de Bourgogne cheese in hand.

She spent the first night of her temporary pretend life drinking wine, blasting Brandi Carlile from the house’s Bluetooth speakers, and smearing the soft cheese onto hunks of artisan bread waving it around the house to spread its aroma, willing its molecules to saturate the freshly painted walls so that Logan would never be able to escape its smell.

As she poured her third glass of wine, Rogue decided she was going to enjoy herself. Hell, if Logan could take off and drink whatever problems he had away, she could certainly take some time to familiarize herself with her new lodgings. She ventured upstairs to pick out her bedroom from the six different options she had available. No chance Logan would share a bedroom with her, even if they were supposed to be married in this suburban surveillance nightmare. They weren’t officially supposed to start surveillance until tomorrow, but they had been supposed to get settled and set up the necessary equipment for the coming weeks.

Weeks, she groaned internally as she trod on to the next room, taking care not to slosh wine on the very plush, very expensive, very boring carpet. Weeks cooped up in this overly large house, with nobody but a grumpy Logan to share it with, and nothing to do except spy on and befriend the neighbors across the street who may or may not be involved in a conspiracy to wipe out mutant-kind.

Rogue wandered from bedroom to bedroom, trying to decide which one felt less cavernous and cold. She fell asleep in the fifth room that she tried, deciding that the bed in this room was the most comfortable, and happy with the fact that it had an adjacent bathroom.

She was completely unaware that the adjacent bathroom was really an adjoining one that connected to the sixth and final bedroom, a fact which she would discover all too soon.

___

Rogue sighed and set down the mic for the final time that evening. She hadn’t been able to pick up anything from Kyle Edwards after he’d gotten home from another at work. And since their evening get-together with the Edwards’ was looming, she was going to have to abandon her surveillance so that she could make herself presentable. Logan had arrived home an hour ago after trailing Kyle all day, ensuring that nobody else interfered with their own surveillance, and to keep him from falling into the hands of The Brotherhood.

Rogue, on the other hand, was supposed to spend her days befriending Kyle’s wife, Claire. Claire, Rogue reflected, was one of those perfect hostesses who was always perfectly made up, whose house was perfectly spotless, and who at the same time was so damn friendly and welcoming that you couldn’t help but like her, even as you despised everything about her.

Claire had arrived on Rogue’s – or more accurately – Lily and Jack’s doorstep promptly at nine o’clock in the morning the Monday after they’d moved in. She even had an honest-to-god basket of homemade muffins that she’d pressed into Rogue’s hands, even as she’d insisted on a tour of the house.

Rogue had found herself slightly out of her element as Claire had praised Lily’s choice of décor – Rogue had no sense of interior design – and oohed and aahed at the new paint job and clean modern furniture they’d brought with them. Apparently, Mr. and Mrs. Adams, the previous occupants, and been very old-fashioned, and Claire was very much into the modern design element that Lily had brought into the neighborhood.

Rogue had smiled until her jaw ached, thanking Claire for the visit, even as she’d escorted her back toward the front door. But even then, Rogue couldn’t escape duty, for Claire had issued an invitation to dinner the following week to, “Officially welcome you to the neighborhood!�

She’d accepted graciously, her Southern roots making an unwanted appearance, ensuring Claire that both she and Jack would be there, and could they bring dessert to thank her and Kyle for their invitation?

Claire had merely shaken her golden head, relaxed curls swaying perfectly in sync, and stating that she and Kyle would be more than happy to host the entire evening and that she couldn’t wait to see them the following Friday at, “Six o’clock, sharp!�

Rogue had shut the door behind Claire, leaning against it feeling suddenly exhausted and inadequate. The only thing worse than having to pretend to enjoy a dinner party, was telling Logan he was going to have to attend a dinner party. That, Rogue reflected, was going to suck. But watching Logan have to turn on the charm and pretend to enjoy a suburban dinner party was going to be worth every minute of uncomfortable shared living space that she had to endure.

Even now, Rogue hesitated as she turned the corner from the upstairs third bedroom which she’d dubbed, “Spy central.� She was loathe to confront Logan after another day of strained and awkward silence between them. While she trusted him with her life, she didn’t trust him with her feelings. Not anymore. She had long ago given up on the crush she’d developed after their first meeting. He would never see her as anything more than a kid, someone who always needed help. Despite her invulnerability.

Even after the disastrous encounter with Carol, after the weeks of mental hell she’d endured, learning to control the wildly strong personality of part-Kree DNA, part ultra bitch, Logan had insisted on treating her with kid gloves. She’d exploded at him after several months of delicate behavior, fed up with his brotherly actions. She didn’t want brotherly. Not from Logan. Not ever. And if he wasn’t going to see her for who and what she had become, then he could fuck right off.

Still, she wouldn’t be who she was if she avoided him forever. She stepped lightly down the stairs, determined to have a little fun with him. He’d gotten home a little more than an hour ago, and retreated into the basement, where he’d stocked the bar with dozens of bottles of whiskey and cans of beer, and claimed it as his “personal space.�

“Hi honey,� she called out in a sing-song voice. A lone grunt was his only response. “And how was your day?�

He didn’t answer as he tossed back a shot of whiskey. A hockey game was on the TV in the background and his eyes were fixed on the players, even as she stood in front of him.

“What?� he finally barked out.

“Well, dear,� she said sweetly through gritted teeth, “I thought I’d let you know that Claire Edwards invited us to dinner next Friday.�

“And?�

“And,� she responded with iron in her tone, “That’s it. It’ll be a good opportunity to get in with them. So make sure you’re home on time.�

She had slammed the basement door shut behind her as she headed to the kitchen, careful to avoid use of her superhuman strength.

Now, Rogue headed into her bathroom, purposefully avoiding thinking about her first night in this house, where she’d inadvertently walked in on a freshly showered naked Logan as she’d blindly sought the light switch in her semi-dehydrated post-bottle of wine, middle of the night bathroom visit.

“Fuck!� he had cried out as the lights had blinded her, though not before she’d had a very graphic view of exactly what was crammed into his too-tight leather uniform.

“Shit!� she had exclaimed backing out of the bathroom smacking her head against the door frame.

“The fuck, Rogue?!� he had ground out at her while her head throbbed.

“Jesus, Logan! Sorry. How the hell was I supposed to know you were in there?�

He stormed out of the bathroom after her, a gray towel hastily wrapped around his waist, a feral animal anger emanating from every deliciously clean and wet and smooth pore of his skin. She shook her head, wincing at the stab of pain, and fought back against the sudden desire to lick the droplets off his stomach.

His nostrils flared as he growled back, “The power of fuckin’ observation.�

They stared at each other for several tense seconds, until he turned without another word and slammed her adjoining bathroom door behind him. Her heart was beating too fast and she practically ran out of her bedroom toward the bathroom down the hall.

She gave her reflection a nervous look as she splashed some water on her face. “Shit,� she said succinctly, realizing that her former ambivalence was nothing more than an attempt to avoid her feelings. Feelings which she’d thought were long gone…

Rogue pulled out her long-neglected curling iron and a bag of makeup which Jubilee had thrust into her hands before leaving the mansion the other week.

She didn’t need to worry about running into Logan anymore. After their first night in the house, he’d retreated to the opposite side of the second floor to the master bedroom. Aside from the surveillance hand-off at the end of the evening, she barely saw Logan at all. He was out during the day trailing Kyle Edwards, and in the evening he would eat before he got home, rendering her homecooked meals pointless, and besides a brief grunt of acknowledgement as she passed over the surveillance equipment, they barely spoke at all.

Rogue tried to ignore the hurt that his behavior caused. She still didn’t understand why he was so cold to her after all of their years of friendship. It was like one day a switch had flipped and he was no longer a source of comfort and camaraderie. Instead he avoided her like she was the only thing he couldn’t heal from, which, Rogue reflected, was probably true. That sort of behavior was expected from her other teammates, even after she’d learned to control her powers. It just wasn’t something she’d ever expected from Logan. Not after everything they’d been through together.

She finished curling her long hair, and started applying her makeup. While she hadn’t been able to hide the distinctive platinum streak of her hair with any kind of dye, Claire Edwards had proclaimed it, “Perfectly modern!� and so Rogue had decided to ignore the odd scar.

After a final dusting of blush, Rogue moved to her bedroom where she had laid out a pair of black skinny jeans and emerald green blouse. Claire had insisted the night would be casual, and Rogue had taken at her word, forgoing some of the more elegant wardrobe selections available to her in lieu of the more comfortable jeans and form-fitting silk shirt. A pair of silver earrings and shiny black stilettos completed her look and she took a deep breath as she grabbed her purse and headed down the stairs to the entry way.

Logan was waiting for her.

She sucked in a breath as she finished walking down the last few stairs. He looked so damn good. He’d showered after he got home, and his dark hair was combed back away from the harsh planes of his face. He hadn’t bothered to shave though, and that familiar scruffy beard shadow caused him to look decidedly dangerous. He too was wearing dark jeans, black boots, and a dark gray dress shirt.

She blinked several times as she tried to remember how to breathe.

“Lily,� he finally ground out. It took her a few seconds to remember that she was supposed to be Lily.

“Jack,� she answered as she moved toward him.

“You ready?� He asked in a calm dark voice.

“Um. Yeah.�

How the fuck was she supposed to be ready for a night like this?

____

After their quick awkward stroll across the street, Logan had grasped her hand in his as he rang the doorbell to the Edwards’ house. Rogue took a deep breath as she ignored the warmth of his fingers intertwined with hers, and prepared herself for a night of hell.

“Well, hello!� Claire Edwards had cried as she wrenched the door open. “Welcome!�

Rogue forced a blinding smile onto her face as she and Logan crossed the threshold of the Edwards home. To her surprise, Logan had plastered a warm and welcoming smile on his face as he reached out with his free hand to shake Claire’s.

“Thanks for havin’ us,� he murmured, his voice full of charm, just the right amount of flirtatiousness.

“Oh,� Claire laughed, apparently just as taken off guard by Logan’s flirting as Rogue was, “Of course! The least we could do! And Lily,� Claire said turning to Rogue, reaching out with both hands to envelop her in an unwanted hug, “So good to see you!�

“Mmmph,� Rogue grunted as Claire squeezed the air from her lungs.

Logan gave her a sharp nudge to the ribs as Claire turned around to usher them inside. Apparently, she needed to ramp up the legitimacy of her acting skills.

Logan made to grasp her hand again and Rogue glared at him out of the corner of her eye even as she squeezed back, forcing a little of her enhanced strength into the grip. He inhaled sharply as glared back at her, careful to quickly transform his expression as Claire turned back to face them.

“Jack, I’m so happy to finally meet you,� Claire gushed. “Lily here has said so many wonderful things about you.�

“That right?� Logan asked, one eyebrow quirking upward.

“Mmmph,� Rogue grunted again, this time deliberately ignoring Logan’s vice grip on her hand.

“Oh yes,� Claire continued, oblivious to the tense dynamics between Logan and Rogue. “Lily went on and on about how committed you were to your work. And I can certainly relate. Kyle is exactly the same, always working, always trying to get ahead. Speaking of, he should be back downstairs in a minute; he had an urgent last minute work call.�

Rogue quickly glanced at Logan at this new piece of information. Damn. They could’ve been listening in on the conversation, but instead they were stuck pretending to be terribly in love and regular suburbanites.

Rogue shuddered as she tried to ignore Logan’s hand, which had abandoned its grip on her own and snaked back to grip her hip in an apparent warning to cool her jets.

“That’s too bad,� Rogue murmured politely as her brain went fuzzy as she tried to process the slow lazy circles that Logan was tracing at the bottom edge of her blouse, and there was a sort of ringing in her ears as she felt warmth begin to flood her body. It took several times of a gradually more and more rough sounding, “Isn’t that right, Lily?� from Logan, for her to realize that Claire and Logan were staring at her expectantly.

“Sorry?� She asked while taking a shuddering breath and tucking a few loose strands of hair back behind her ear.

“I was just tellin’ Claire here how we met,� Logan prompted her again, a dangerous glint in his eye now.

“Oh!� she exclaimed as she frantically thought back at the manila folder which had contained the backstory for Lily and Jack Morgan. Shit. She couldn’t remember. Something about Las Vegas? No, it couldn’t be that cheesy. In a moment of improvisation, Rogue decided to turn the tables on Logan’s unexpectedly suave behavior to cover her lapse. She turned into his arms and ignoring the warning clench of his jaw, and divine smell of whatever soap he had used earlier, leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. She pressed the softness of her lips against the roughness of his beard and smiled at the quick inhale her nearness had apparently caused.

“Well Jack always tells that story so much better than I do,� Rogue said smiling back at Claire. She decided to lay it on extra thick and leaned into Logan’s shoulder as she grasped his hand in hers and ran her thumb alongside the pad of his thumb, then in between his knuckles.

His hand twitched in hers and she went one step further as she deliberately pressed her breasts against his arm.

“Oh, you’re adorable,� Claire exclaimed. “You must be newlyweds based on how affectionate you are with each other!�

Logan cleared his throat as he swallowed, then shook his head in response. “No ma’am, married three years now.�

Rogue smiled up at Logan ignoring the telling tick in his jaw and then turned back to Claire. “So, any chance we could get the grand tour? Your home is so lovely!�

“Oh of course,� Claire exclaimed warmly. “But don’t think that gets you two off the hook for telling me how you met. I’m sure it’s a wonderful story.�

Rogue didn’t bother to suppress the outburst of laughter as she thought of trying to describe the real story of how she and Logan had met. She could just picture explaining it to Claire…

Well, I’d just discovered I was a mutant, my parents kicked me out after I almost killed my boyfriend, and I hitched my way up to Canada where I stumbled across this shithole of a bar. Luckily, this guy was making a living cage fighting, and for some reason I thought he was trustworthy, I stowed away in his camper, and he begrudgingly let me tag along. That is until we were attacked by another mutant who was actually after me and then I almost died when a psycho thought by forcing me to absorb his powers and forcefully cause the mass mutation of dozens of world leaders in the hopes that mutants would be treated more fairly around the globe. You know, your normal meet cute kind of situation.

Oh yeah, Rogue thought as she followed Claire through the massive house, a wonderful story.



Rogue and Logan toured the house, meeting Kyle just as he closed his office doors behind him. Rogue tried to get a read off whether or not Logan had been able to overhear any of the conversation, but damn the man had a good poker face. If he had picked up any of Kyle’s conversation, she wouldn’t be able to find out until later.

From what Rogue could tell of Kyle, he seemed like a perfectly nice man. Not at all someone who was secretly planning the development of a debilitating weapon to use against mutants. His sandy brown hair was well-kept, and he was still in his work clothes, a dark pair of slacks and a plaid button-down. He and Claire were the perfect hosts, showing them to the study for a pre-dinner cocktail, chatting noncommittally about unoffensive topics such as the weather or the neighborhood. Rogue fumbled her way through any questions regarding Lily and Jack’s relationship, and turned on the Southern charm when she felt she was getting a little too close to the fire. Logan, on the other hand, was a perfectly respectable guest, smiling and laughing, and showing a perhaps slightly disproportionate amount of affection toward Rogue. Or maybe she was just too surprised at how good his acting skills were.

It wasn’t until dinner was underway that the conversation became more interesting.

“So,� Kyle said between bites of salmon, “What do the two of you make of this mutant phenomenon?�

“Kyle,� Claire laughed uncomfortably, “I thought we agreed to no shop talk tonight?�

“No,� Logan answered quickly, “It’s alright with me. I think it’s an – interesting topic. What about you, Lily?�

Swallowing reflexively as her throat dried up, Rogue nodded as she reached for her wine. “Mmm hmm. Definitely interesting,� she finally managed.

“Well that’s just the thing,� Kyle continued pointing his fork at Rogue.

She began to feel apprehensive, sure that she was going to blow their cover by panicking and blurting out that they were both mutants! She almost jumped as Logan reached across to her and gave her leg a quick warning squeeze. Relax, he seemed to be saying, It’ll be fine.

“We hardly know anything about them. Oh sure,� Kyle said as he paused to wipe his mouth with the corner of his napkin. “We know there’s a gene that causes the fluctuations in their DNA. But what else? What else do we know?�

He seemed to legitimately want an answer, and at Rogue’s awkward, “Uhh…� he continued.

“I mean, what we really need to do is study them. Figure out how they work. What they can do. What their DNA is capable of. Imagine the possibilities and a little research could provide!�

Logan just managed to suppress a snarl as he reached for more salmon. “Who knows what they’re capable of.� It was not a question.

Now it was Rogue’s turn to diffuse the situation. “So!� she said brightly turning back to Claire. “You two don’t have any kids?�

Claire too seemed eager for a change in the conversation and began to prattle on about how they went back and forth on the topic of children. Some days they wanted the, and other days they liked their lives just as they were.

“And what about you two?� Claire asked with a wink. “When do you think you’ll have kids?�

It was a sore subject for Rogue. And one that she was sure she didn’t want to discuss with Logan, let alone a couple of strangers.

“Ah,� Logan said jumping in again. “We’ll just have to see, won’t we, Lily?� He gave her a smile so devastatingly genuine that Rogue could feel the tiniest pricks of tears beginning to form. She was unprepared for the question. Unprepared for this mission. And unprepared for the unexpected warmth from Logan. She froze up, but managed to jerk her head in a sort of answer as she plastered a fake smile on her face. Sure. They’d had to see.

Dessert and after-dinner drinks continued on without any further controversy and Rogue was feeling pleasantly buzzed from the pre-dinner gin and tonic, two glasses of wine, and a glass of port after their meal, and didn’t notice she was running her hands up and down Logan’s arm, enjoying the bunched warmth of muscles she could feel beneath his shirt, until she happened to glance up and catch the charged look he was giving her. She froze, prey to the predatory look in his eye. She was so damn unprepared for this mission…

“Well,� Claire said, a smile in her voice, “It seems like these two are ready to call it a night!� The sound of her voice shook Rogue out from the spell of Logan’s gaze and she inhaled sharply as she turned away from Logan to embrace Claire.

“Yes,� Rogue said smoothly. “It’s been a long day for the both of us.� If only you knew just how long, she thought darkly.

“Thanks for havin’ us,� Logan said as he moved in to shake Kyle’s hand. “We’d like to repay the favor,� he started and Rogue shot him a quick look, startled at where this might be going. “Lily here is a great cook too,� he said to Claire.

I am? She thought wildly. How would he know that when he never eats my food?

“And I’m sure she’d love to show you some of that Mississippi hospitality by havin’ the two of you over.�

“Oh, that would be lovely!� Claire exclaimed. “How’s next Friday?�

Rogue nodded and smiled, feeling as though it would have been nice for Logan to warn her he’d be inviting the enemy over for dinner. “Friday’s great,� she murmured as she moved to grab Logan’s hand with hers. “How’s seven o’clock?�

Kyle nodded as he pulled up his phone, “Looks good to me. Just have a few meetings that afternoon, but nothing that should keep me too long.�

Rogue filed away that bit of information and tugged Logan’s hand in hers, desperate to get back home so that she could stop having to pretend that she was happy. It was exhausting work.

“Great, we’ll see you two then,� she exclaimed as they made their way to the front door, Claire and Kyle waving warmly at them.

The instant they were within the safety of their own walls, Logan shoved Rogue up against the wall and ground out through gritted teeth. “What the fuck are you playin’ at?�

Oh, hell no! She thought furiously. Anger was bursting through her at his sudden inexplicable change in behavior and she grabbed the forearm that was pressed against her chest, whipped it around his back, twisted herself behind him and threw him clear across the front room where he skidded just short of hurling through the sliding glass back door.

“Me?� She asked incredulously. “What the fuck am I playin’ at? What the fuck are you playin’ at?!�

Logan slowly picked himself off the floor, chest heaving with restrained emotions. “You almost blew our goddamn cover in there,� he finally managed. “Yer gonna get yerself killed, or worse.�

“That’s what you were worried about?� she cried back at him. “I think you managed to cover for me just fine.�

“You gotta learn our fuckin’ backstory,� he continued as he slowly stalked her. “Before we see them again. I can’t be the one answerin’ all the goddamn questions.�

“I know our backstory just fine,� she said, anger continuing to blaze from every pore of her body. She’d never wanted to kick Logan’s ass quite so badly before. “At least up until a point.�

Logan stopped cold. The air seemed to evaporate from the room as he looked at her, tension coiled in every taut line of his body. “The fuck is that supposed to mean?�

But Rogue wasn’t inclined to discuss his attitude or their history any further. “You’re so smart, you figure it out.� And she gave her back to him as she channeled that inner power and took off toward the upstairs. She didn’t look back. Didn’t see the look of regret in his eyes as he watched her fly away.

Dumb fuck.

Shut up.

Fuckin’ moron.

Shut. Up.

Yer fuckin’ this up.

Goddamnit!

If you can’t get yer shit together, I’m gonna take over and fix things. I’ve had enough of this bullshit.

Logan only grunted in response, seeing as his attempts to shut down the insults and demands of his alter ego had so far been unsuccessful.

He turned his back on the stairs, fists clenched at his sides, and made his way toward the garage and the promise of open air via the borrowed Maserati currently sitting in the garage. He grabbed his leather jacket as he slammed the door to the garage behind him and then stood in the stale silence of the garage, breathing as he tried to restrain himself.

Don’t needta keep runnin’…

Logan answered the voice in his head with a growl.

Not anymore. She’s ready. An’ if ya wait any longer, yer gonna lose her for good.

Logan growled audibly this time and was startled to hear a faint tone of pain in the noise echoing off the cement walls of the garage.

Clenching the keys in his fist tightly for a moment, he sighed in exasperation as he tossed both them and his jacket on the workbench, turning toward the garage side door, instead of the gleaming promise of escape emanating from the Maserati.

He started walking through the overly formal neighborhood toward the park that ran along the eastern edge of their street. He’d only ever passed by in a blur as he escaped the confines of their shared living space, desperate to put himself at a distance from Rogue.

But now, just maybe, his plan hadn’t been such a good one.

A snort, then, ya think?

“Shut up! I’m tryin’ to sort this shit out.�

An odd look from a woman approaching him on the sidewalk with her dog met him as he continued on his walk and he muttered a quick, “Phone call� as cover, pointing to a non-existent bluetooth earpiece. She didn’t seem overly convinced of his sanity however, but skirted a wide path around as he continued past her.

Forcing his thoughts back to Rogue, Logan thought over his behavior toward her since they’d been forced together on this mission. He frowned as he thought over his comments, his actions.

“Fuck,� he muttered, “No wonder she’s pissed at me.�

He reached the park and strode over to an empty bench that overlooked an expansive pond. It was after dinner time, and the park was relatively deserted. Taking in a deep breath, forcing himself to focus, he began to turn over her last few words in his mind.

I know our backstory just fine…At least up until a point.

She was good and pissed. That much was obvious. What did she mean by that last part though?

Come on. Yer not stupid.

Brow furrowed as he tried to ignore the amused tone in Wolverine’s comment, he realized that maybe he had been treatin’ Rogue different. Ever since that Cajun rat came into her life. He just didn’t like the way that red-eyed bastard was always hangin’ around. Always tryin’ to flirt with her. Show off for her. He remembered the blaze of anger that had run through him when she’d suggested Remy accompany her on the mission, and hadn’t been able to help the snide remarks that had crossed his lips. He just didn’t want her thinkin’ about getting’ any closer to Gumbo.

No shit. It’s ‘cause ya want her ta get closer to you.

Logan had no comment, no retort available.

“Fuck.�

He ran his hand through his hair and repeated the expletive so loudly that it echoed across back to him across the water.

He didn’t want it to come to this. Didn’t want to face what he’d clearly known deep down for a long time.

He wanted Rogue. No. He fucking needed her.

His actions over the last year came slamming back across his mind in a torrent of guilt. The way he’d acted when Rogue asked him what he thought of Remy. How he shrugged her off when she’d gotten back from a group date with Jubilee. His dismissive comments when she’d asked him about if he was staying at the mansion. Her explosion of anger at him when he tried to keep a respectful distance after Carol. And further back, his slow withdrawal from her life as she left the mansion for college, and grew into the woman she was now. A woman he felt like he hardly knew.

An’ whose fault is that?

Logan took the criticism that time. Confident that he deserved worse than what Wolverine was dishing out.

Fuckin’ hell. Don’t be such a mopey idiot. Go talk to her for fuck’s sake. No. On second thought. No talkin’. Just touchin’.

Logan rolled his eyes at that, knowing that if he tried to touch Rogue now, she’d use that super-human strength of hers to rip out his still beating heart, adamantium covered ribcage or no.

“Talk,� he growled quietly to himself. “Gotta talk to her. Explain why…�

And what the fuck was he gonna say to her? He had no excuse, not one that wasn’t flimsy as shit. Didn’t wanna hurt ya, doesn’t mean shit when he already hurt her.

He left the bench by the pond and turned back to the house, determined to make things right.

For the first time in a long time, Logan felt a lightness as he got close to the house. He’d be able to explain, make things right. See if she wanted to give this thing that was between them a real shot.

But when he stepped inside the house, any hope he’d been flirting with, vanished. His ears strained for the slightest hint of her; a breath, the delicate sound of her tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. But there was nothing. The house was empty. Jaw clenched, he made for the basement when he caught sight of a note taped to the bannister.

Went out. Don’t wait up. -L

It took him a second to comprehend the “L� and then he remembered that she was supposed to be Lily. And he was supposed to be Jack. Happily married for three years…

“Yeah, right,� he snorted as he thundered down in search of whiskey.
____


The sound of a set of keys clanging loudly on the travertine floor above his head had Logan jerking awake. Claws itched for release between his knuckles as he strained his senses toward the sound of the intrusion.

A hushed, “Shhhhiiiiiit!� and the clumsy sound of fingers trying to pick up the jangling metal had him exhaling in annoyance as he felt the muscles of his forearms relax.

It was Rogue.

“Motherfucker!� along with the sound of a thigh crashing into the kitchen table echoed in his ears.

And she was drunk.

Logan couldn’t tell if he was amused or pissed. Amused because it sounded like she was havin’ a helluva time keepin’ her shit together. Pissed because she’d gone off and put herself and their mission at risk. He knew what she was like when she drank. Couldn’t keep that tongue of hers in check.

Like that’s a problem. I bet she can use that tongue in all kinds-

Shut. UP.

Okay. He could tell now. He was pissed.

He tore up the stairs, not bothering to dampen the thundering of his boot soles against the basement steps. And his temper was not improved by the quiet, “Goddammit,� and the sound of a heavy sigh.

He wrenched the door open and came nearly nose to nose with her. She was dressed in a lacy black top and tight dark jeans, and was several inches taller than her normal self thanks to the knee high black leather boots she was sporting. Her hair had fallen partially out of the high pony tail she was sporting and she looked both sexy, and drunk as hell. And his temper ratcheted up several degrees as he took a deep breath and began processing the variety of scents coming off her.

“Yer drunk,� he said curtly as he tried to reign in his temper.

She snorted. “Duh.�

“Jesus. You drink the whole damn bottle of Jack?�

“So. I can get drung if I wan’.�

“You were at a bar,� Logan said in between clenched teeth.

“Where else am I gonna get that mush whiskey?�

“You weren’t alone.�

“There’s lotsa people in bars.�

“You were with him.�

“There were guys there,� she said as she avoided his eyes. She was swaying on the spot, unable to stand upright without steadying herself against the kitchen table.

“Don’t play games with me, Rogue. You were with Remy.�

“So what!�

“So you fuckin’ endangered the mission!� He stepped forward, unsure of exactly what he was intending to do, but she interrupted him before he could act.

“Fuck the mission!� And she tried to shove him away from her, losing her footing as she stepped forward and sliding to the kitchen floor.

Logan curled his fists at his sides as she fought off his attempts to help her stand back up.

“Jesus fuck, Rogue. Tell me ya didn’t drive home like this.�

“Sn’t home,� she muttered.

“Goddammit, tell me-�

“’Course I didn’t. I’m not stupid.�

“Coulda fooled me,� he bit out without thinking.

“Ya know what, Logan?� she asked him, anger blazing in her eyes, “I’m not the stupid one here.�

“That right?� he fired back at her, seeming unable to help himself.

“Yeah! Ya know how I know?� Rogue questioned as she pointed one finger into his chest, shoving him back with her careless strength.

Wolverine’s low growl of warning rang in his mind but Logan was past heeding the cautionary sound.

“How.� The word was barely intelligible as he fought against the instincts raging inside him.

“’Cause we’d be fuckin’ great together.�

The world stopped. His heart stopped. The air left his lungs as he tried to grasp what she’d just said.

“Yep. Fuckin’ great. I said it,� she slurred back at him taking in his reaction. “But you’re too stupid to see it! And ya just shove me away. Think I’m some kid who always needs lookin’ after. But I don’t! Don’t need you.�

The silence stretched between them and Logan felt his anger returning. Fuck that, he thought. Like fuck she doesn’t need me.

Rogue moved to slide past him but he threw out an arm to stop her. She glared at him in warning, but didn’t move further.

“Let me go, Logan.�

The potential double meaning of those words sent him into a spiral of conflicting emotions.

“No,� he growled, unconcerned at the amount of animal in his voice. “I won’t.�

He slowly backed her up against the kitchen counter, forcing himself close against her front.

He took in the change in her scent, her anger losing ground to a slow and heady arousal. He inhaled sharply at the dark honey scent coming off from her. He appraised her slowly, taking a long lengthy look at her. Fuck, she was gorgeous. Those long legs showcased by her dark jeans, and the black lace shirt that was apparently…

“Goddammit,� he groaned.

…See-through.

The thought of LeBeau seeing her like this had him clenching his fists again, determined to keep the claws sheathed.

He met her eyes again and saw her taking in his reaction. Oh yeah, she was aroused. Fuck. And so was he.

He leaned in to inhale the exposed skin at her neck and was rewarded with the feeling of her legs shake against his.

“Is this what you want?� he asked quietly as he nipped one ear lobe with his teeth.

“Holy fuck,� she muttered as she grasped for a handhold on the kitchen counter.

The taste of her against his tongue was doing something to his insides. Something good. He liked it. And fuck, he needed more.

He licked a path from her jawline to her collar bone, inhaling the scent of her skin as he pressed himself against her, desperate to feel more of her. Fire was burning beneath his skin and he couldn’t believe he’d denied himself what he’d wanted for so long.

Logan reached up with one hand to trace the outline of her nipples through her shirt and she groaned in pleasure as she threw back her head. Christ, she was so responsive. He moved in close to taste her mouth and he let out a low animal sound as she met him. Her lips were parted and kissed her slowly. Slower than he thought was possible. Wanting to savor every delicious fucking sensation of her lips, her tongue, and fuck, her teeth.

He growled then as he grabbed her hips and hoisted her onto the counter, setting her down a little more roughly than he’d intended to.

She let out another moan and he pressed himself in between her open thighs, needing to get closer to her, before he realized she was trying to shove him away.

Confusion was clouding his mind as he tried to force himself back from her, the harsh feeling of rejection settling over him.

But the feeling of desolation didn’t last long.

Rogue had leaned over the kitchen sink and puked her guts up.