Caravan moved slowly over scorching sand. It was hard to believe that parched up scenery had been sinking, slippery mud just few weeks ago. Now the surface of the road was dry and cracked, and heavy trucks created a formidable dust cloud around them.

He gazed his passenger and slight smile tugged the corner of his mouth. Marie was sleeping, curled to the passenger’s seat. This was her truck. They had taken all the parts they could salvage from the wreck of his truck and left it behind. They were better off riding together, and Marie’s truck had been far better condition than his. It had taken a week to catch up with the caravan. Marie had been driving during days, Logan had taken the wheel when sun set. It was safer during the daytime, not so many bandits dared to try to attack in plain sight. During few brief stops they had made Logan had installed weapons he had stripped from his truck, and now Marie’s truck posed a formidable threat to anything imaginable, armed with two pulse cannons, two machineguns and five flamethrowers.

Marie was slowly mastering the firepower, but it was her skills in driving that Logan admired the most. She handled the truck with ease born from several years of experience. It was hard to believe she had been insecure and stumbling kid when he had first laid his eyes on her. Now she attended the daily chores and responded to friendly banter from their travel buddies with her own sharp remarks, keeping them on their toes.

Their relationship was a constant source of guessing and rumors among the caravan. They traveled together and shared a room when caravan stopped to settlement. When they were on the road, they both slept in the truck. Both were more than possessive about each other, yet there seemed to be no bigger connection between them. They were buddies.

Slight change in Marie’s scent alerted him from his thoughts. He shifted on his seat and opened the window. Air conditioning wasn’t efficient enough to sweep out the unmistakable trace of her arousal. It was kind of awkward.

It had started couple of days ago, when they caught up with the caravan. He had been driving. Stench of dust and fuel had clogged up his nostrils, but suddenly a new scent had broken through. A new, yet something he remembered from the past. Salty musk tinged with vanilla and peppermint. She had been moaning slightly in her sleep, and Logan had opted to wake her up.
“Looked like you were having a nightmare…” He lied through his teeth when Marie had asked why had he woken her up. Next night it had happened again.

It started to affect him. Twenty years he had spent in relatively solitude, in celibate for the fear of what would happen if he allowed himself to feel anything remotely sexual hadn’t been a struggle, but now he had to restrain himself from testing what would happen if he let go. Dust that coated his sinuses wasn’t thick enough to filter off her scent, and wind had died. Air was standing still. Caravan was practically crawling along, so the breeze created by movement was only marginal.

“Thank God…” Logan groaned when first faint traces of light crept over the horizon. Time to wake her up and get some sleep. During the day caravan would pick up the speed. Hopefully they would be at the settlement before evening. This time he wasn’t as sure as hell to book only a one room for himself and Marie. No. Two rooms. Maybe she would take the hint and make a move to the guy she was lusting after. Had to be somebody from the caravan. After that he could go and gut the guy for touching her. Or maybe not. She had the right to choose.

“Wake up.” He shook her little more gruffly than he first intended to. She came out of her dream with a startled gasp.
“What is it?” She asked, head swiveling from side to side, taking in the scenery around them.
“Your turn to drive,” Logan grunted.
“Can we stop for a while? I need to stretch my legs…” Marie muttered yawning.
“Just for couple of minutes.”

He watched her from the corner of his eye, feigning to sleep. She had popped briefly behind the truck, probably to pee. Now she was walking, stretching her back and legs. She stopped and bent over from her waist, grabbing her ankles, and he could hear soft growl coming from her. She wasn’t used to sit still day after day. It showed.

“Drag your ass back in! We have to catch up with the caravan!” Logan shouted through the open window. Marie stuck her tongue out and eyed the driver’s seat with distaste. It would be still warm. Leather would be soft and sticky. She could feel the heat from his palms under hers, soaked to the steering wheel. In a weird way it reminded her of like they were using the same toothbrush, or something.

“I’ll ask them to pick up the pace a bit. I want to sleep in a real bed for a change…” Logan muttered, picking up the microphone and clicking the tangent twice, to alert other vehicles in the caravan.
“This is Wolverine calling. Step on it. Rogue’s getting tired of sucking your exhaust. So am I,” he growled.
“Copy that, Wolverine. Move to the front,” answer came through. They both glared at the receiver.
“And leave your tail unguarded? Don’t think so. Pick up the pace,” Logan answered.
“Copy that.”
“Copy my ass…” Logan muttered, cut the connection and placed the microphone carefully back on its cradle, resisting the urge to rip it off and throw out.

“Fucking sheep… What do you say if we ditch them after the next fight?” He asked from Marie. She threw a surprised glance towards him.
“Not for good. Just take a couple of days vacation,” he hurriedly explained.
“Is this one of those moments you need to be alone?” Marie asked.
“Yeah. Can take this shit no more for some reason. Usually takes much longer to get this fed up…”
“I could hitch a ride from Scott. Would that help?” Marie proposed. Scott was driving one of the transporters. He was the handyman of the fight crew. Kept everything working. Logan threw a sharp, sidelong glance towards Marie. Scott? Scott? Was it him?
“I guess you could. But it’s not you that’s bothering me. Feels like these people are getting dumber after every day.”
“Well, if you don’t mind, I would rather stick with you than ask a ride from those morons. I have seen how couple of them keep eyeing me. Gives me the creeps…” Marie said, slight shiver running over her frame.
“I have seen it, too. Don’t worry about it, they know better than to hassle with you…”

Logan knew it for sure. From the moment she had appeared, escorted by him, she had been marked. Property of Wolverine. It was ridiculous if you thought about it. During all these years he had been tagging along with these people, there hadn’t been any rumors. Not hushed jokes or meaningful slaps to the back after a long night in a bar, or after a fight when groupies cornered them. Nobody even expected him to take part of the raunchy parties or even orgies the crew was infamous of. He was the Wolverine, big and mean machine with blood on his hands and yet he lived like a monk, but as soon as people had set their eyes on Marie standing next to him he had seen the shift in their minds. From Buddhist monk to master of his slave. He didn’t mind as long as it kept her safe, but rumors were getting louder after every day, and it was harder to keep Marie from hearing them. She wouldn’t be too pleased when she found out why people kept their distance.

Marie groaned and stepped down from the truck. Logan mimicked her move on the other side of the cab, rubbing his eyes little groggily. He had been sleeping while Marie drove, and sudden switch from the relatively silence of the caravan to the marketplace of the settlement threw him a bit off-stride.
“Okay. I’ll go and book us rooms. Why don’t you go and get something to eat…” Logan started, pointing at the Inn he had spotted.
“Nope. I’m not hungry. I just want to go to sleep…” Marie muttered and slouched after him. He still had that skill to part the crowd in front of him by just walking through. It was easier to trail after him than try to push through by herself.

“Thank God I’m not on duty tonight…” She groaned leaning heavily against Logan’s side while he was paying for the owner of the Inn. Crew took turns in setting up the cage. She had been working on it in the last place they had stopped by, side by side with Logan and few other members of the crew. It had been hard work, and she had gotten to bed only after every detail was ready. Sun had been rising when she had staggered with Logan to the room they had shared. They had slept the whole day, waking when Scott had knocked on the door and informed that fight would start within an hour.

“Here.” She stared dumbly at the key Logan handed to her.
“You’re not coming?” She asked puzzled. Logan jiggled a key of his own.
“Got two rooms.”
“Can we afford it?” Marie asked, instantly calculating how much an extra room would cost.
“Yeah. We can. Go to sleep. I’ll go and see if they need any help at the cage. Might take a while so I thought it would be a good idea to get you your own room. Won’t wake you up when I come back,” Logan said. He could see disappointment on Marie’s face.
“Okay… I’ll see you in the morning…” She said, turning and taking the stairs with her head bowed. Every move reluctant and sluggish.
“Marie?” She turned to look at him.
“Good night. Wake me up to the breakfast, okay?” She nodded.

Technically it wasn’t his turn, but the crew didn’t object when he strolled to where they had parked the trucks. Parts of the cage had already been unloaded, but the hardest task was still waiting, getting heavy poles and walls up to a sturdy enough structure. It wouldn’t do to have the cage collapse in the middle of a fight. He pushed all the restless energy that had been coiling slowly inside of him to the work, holding up the walls, pounding the support beams deep in to the ground and welding seams. He was going to drive all his frustrations and fears to the metal structure of the cage.

When morning came, and last part of the cage, the massive gate slid in place, the whole crew sighed from relief. Logan’s angry relentless pace had forced everybody else to bust their backs, too. Logan just shrugged and lighted a cigar, staggering back to the settlement. It would be a small miracle if Marie managed to get him awake enough to eat after he settled to the bed.

He rose the stairs slowly. He could practically feel the soft bed under his back already. Seats in the truck were okay if you tilted them backwards, but right now his muscles and joints were screaming for the release only a good long rest in a real bed could offer. He stopped briefly in front of Marie’s room. He could hear her steady breathing through the door. Still fast asleep. Good. With any luck she would be out couple of hours more.

Room was small, but it held all the necessities, and he even had his own bathroom. Quick shower to wash off the desert dust and grease that coated his skin. By the time he had toweled himself dry and sat on the edge of the bed his back was singing hallelujah, and seven dwarves had put up a mine inside of his skull. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

He woke up to a strange feeling. He was warm and relaxed, and something or somebody was stroking his hair.
“What the fuck…” He sprung to action and had the intruder pinned under him against the mattress before he realized whom it was.
“Marie?”
“I… Uh, I came to get you to breakfast. You didn’t answer when I knocked, so I came to see if you were back…” She was stuttering, eyes darting between his chest and the sheet that only partially covered him from the waist down.
“I locked the door. I’m sure I locked it.”
“My key fit in. Sorry… I just wanted to see if you were back already and if you were hungry… Could you let me go?” Marie’s question snapped Logan out of the partial haze and he released the grip he had from her. She stumbled off from the bed instantly. Yet he couldn’t detect fear in her scent. Just surprise.
“Sorry about that. I’m not used to waking up like that,” he said, sitting on the side of the bed, checking that the sheet provided adequate shelter from her gaze. She turned to leave.
“Wait. I’ll get dressed. Might as well go and get something to eat since I’m awake…” Logan grunted, grabbing his clothes and retreating to bathroom to get dressed.

He wasn’t shy, and they had both seen each other naked on several occasions. Hell, they had fucked with each other. Somehow it still didn’t feel right to flash in front of her naked.

Rest of the crew had already occupied the small tavern downstairs, and waitresses were scurrying around, carrying ale, bread and porridge. They found a tiny table from under a window, probably meant for one person only. It had to do. Logan wasn’t going to stand around and wait for something bigger. He wanted to get something to eat. Sooner he got over the breakfast, the sooner he could crawl back to bed. Waitress came and plunked two bowls on the table, filled with steaming pile of thick looking porridge. He wasn’t a porridge-man per say, but right now he was tired and hungry enough to eat anything even remotely edible. A basket filled with bread was shoved between their bowls. They both looked at the waitress expectantly. Woman’s eyes were darting between the bowls and the basket, trying to find two more empty spots. Finding none she sighed.
“You want something to drink?” She asked, offering them two pints of ale from the tray she was carrying. They took the pints. There really was no room for them on the table. Eating was little awkward juggling between the pints, porridge and bread, but finally they both could just lean back, task finished.

“So… What were you planning to do?” Logan asked, lighting a cigar. Marie’s gaze wandered over the sea of customers, not really looking for anything, yet taking in every detail from her surroundings.
“I don’t know. Maybe do some shopping. I need some new clothes, and better shoes. Do you think they have a bookstore in here?” She asked.
“Too small place for something like that. But I saw a general store earlier. They might sell books. Getting bored?” Logan asked, not really caring about the possible answer. Food had been surprisingly tasty, cigar was good, and there was a warm and a soft bed with his name on it waiting upstairs. All in all, life was good.
“Not really bored… Or maybe a little. I don’t know. I’m not sure about anything anymore. And I miss Sam.”
“Don’t worry about him. He’s in good hands…” Logan said.
“What do you mean? I thought you left him…”
“You thought I would left my son alone, without money or friends, without anything or anybody to lean on? Give me some credit, Marie… I’m an asshole, but not a fucking asshole…”
“But I thought you took him to the settlement so that he could get recruited to the Army…”
“No. Hooked him up with a caravan. Fifteen trucks, transporting spices, canvases, flour… Stuff like that. They were short of one transporter.”
“And he settled for that?” Marie asked. Logan nodded.
“We had time to talk during the ride to the settlement. Told him about my life. I think halfway through my speech he actually started to listen. After the part when I mentioned you. He looked a bit green around the gills when I left him, but I don’t think he dreams of being a soldier anymore.”
“Oh…”
“Yeah. Well, have a nice day. I have an appointment with mister Sandman…”

Sharp knock on the door woke him up. Sun was still up. So it was safe to assume he hadn’t slept that long. Perfectly okay to act pissed off. He opened the door with an angry grimace plastered over his face.
“What the fuck do you creep want?” Stephen, one of the transporters took few hasty steps backwards. Wolverine was well known of his bad temper.
“It’s Rogue.”
“Huh?” Anger turned to worry. She was a big girl now. Big enough to take care of herself. Had to be something bad when they sought him out.

“They came out of nowhere… I didn’t think there was any of those left…” Stephen was babbling while Logan threw some clothes on. Now he could smell the scent of Marie’s blood on Stephen.
“There are some left. But I thought they had trained them better, not to attack on muties anymore…” Logan muttered, grabbing the keys to his room.
“Take me there.”

She had been trying on new shoes, when suddenly two Hunters had attacked out of nowhere. Luckily the owner of the small store had managed to kill both of them, but nevertheless she was badly injured. Her right ankle and left wrist were broken, skin torn and muscles underneath minced to an ugly mess along with cartilage and tendons.
“Rogue?” She was barely conscious, but upon hearing Logan’s voice she opened her eyes and forced a smile on her lips.
“Hi. Found some old friends…”
“So I see. What did you do? Poked them with a stick?” Logan asked, gathering her to his arms as gently as possible. She winced a bit.
“Did nothing… They just bounced on me… You know I’m a smart girl…” She whispered, slapping his shoulder with her good hand. Sharp glint of metal captured his attention. A ring. Smooth, silver grey band on her index finger. He recognized the material immediately. It surprised him that she hadn’t made the connection herself.

“Told you before that I don’t want to see this shit on you. They were tracking this!” He snarled, tearing off the ring and keeping it up close her face so that she could see. Marie wrinkled her forehead and tried to grab it. Logan pocketed the ring.
“Nope. You’re not getting it back. First we get you fixed up, then I’m going to get rid of it.”
“It was a present…” Marie whispered, tears gleaming in her eyes.
“Doesn’t matter. It’ll draw every fucking Hunter after you. It’s same kind of ring you had earlier. Made out of old suppression collar.”
“Sam gave it to me…”
“Doesn’t fucking matter! You’re not keeping it, and that’s final!”

Something blue and hungry flashed behind Marie’s eyes. Suddenly his hands against her skin felt stiff and frozen. He couldn’t let go of her. He could see veins bulging under the skin, color fading. It was getting hard to breathe. That coldness crept along his arms, settling inside of his ribcage, grasping his heart and lungs with vice-like grip. He could see damages on Marie’s ankle and wrist healing rapidly. She was draining him, using his mutation. He tried to crawl away from her, but she held on him tightly.
“Rogue! Let go!” He snarled through gritted teeth. She didn’t answer. He tried feebly to kick her, but she dodged his haphazard attempt easily, leeching his power and life. Darkness was approaching rapidly. He could hear people around them whispering.
“Marie… Please, let me go…” He didn’t have any strength left, just that desperate plea. And it was enough. Just before he fell unconscious he could feel the connection breaking.

Rocking motion and steady purr of an engine woke him up. He was in the truck. It was night. Marie was driving. He could smell she had been crying earlier. Now something close to fear was wafting around her, thick cloud of something he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
“Kid?” He muttered, sitting up carefully and wincing against sickening sweet whine and buzz inside of his head.
“They weren’t exactly thrilled of the way I healed. Told me to get lost. You agreed, wanted to come with me. I took the truck and some supplies.”
“I agreed?” He asked puzzled. Had he really been able to voice his opinion? Marie looked at him and tapped her temple.
“I had you inside of my head. You made it very clear that I was to take you with me.”
“Had?”
“People stay in my head only as long as they are unconscious.”
“You finally figured out your mutation, and first thing you do is to turn it against me?”
“Sorry. Wasn’t thinking very clearly…”
“Well, just don’t do it again. Hurt like a bitch…”

“Where are we going?” He asked. Marie was still driving. He was rubbing his forearms. Skin on there felt tight and ticklish. Like a sunburn. He could feel palm shaped scars under his fingers. Probably a permanent feat, since they hadn’t healed up yet. Well, fair was fair. He had scarred her all those years ago; it was her right to repay the favor.
“You wanted to go back to the bunker. I guess you got little confused. I managed to talk you out of it. I have been driving and waiting for you to wake up. Do you have some place in your mind?”
“No. Don’t really have anything left. Anything except… No.”
“We could go to my place. I never sold it, and I doubt anybody has dared to move in there. No one in their right mind would want to live in a mutie hive.”

“Mutie hive…” Logan muttered, pulling to the front yard of the cabin. Marie was sleeping next to him. Splatter of rain against the windows was strangely comforting even when he had spent last couple of hours cursing and weaving the truck through mud and quicksand.
“Marie? We’re here. Wake up,” he said and shook the sleeping woman gently. She had fallen asleep half an hour ago, and hadn’t entered to deep sleep yet. Thank God for small mercies. What ever, or more likely who ever it was she was dreaming of must have made quite an impression to her at some point. More than once he had caught her masturbating in her sleep during their ride to the cabin. At least it had proven him one thing. There was nothing wrong with his plumbing. Sight of Marie, squirming and writhing on her seat, dead to the world, had caused him an erection several times. It was kind of hard to hide in the narrow confines of the truck’s cab. Usually he just stopped the truck and walked outside until he could will it away before waking up Marie so that she could drive.

“Are we home?” Marie asked, sitting up and squinting her eyes, trying to see through the rain and darkness.
“Yeah. You are. You really don’t mind if I bunk in here for a while?” Logan asked, still not believing she had meant that he should move in with her.
“Stay as long as you like. It’s the least I can do after what I did.” She reached for his hand, and he resisted the urge to retreat from her touch. Her fingers skimmed scarred flesh lightly, causing a shiver run down his spine.
“I’m sorry…” Marie whispered, letting go of him.
“Don’t. I kind of like them.” It was true. Somehow he felt more whole now, matching set of her palm prints decorating the skin of his arms.
“You shouldn’t,” Marie said, turning and reaching for her bag, from under the seat. Movement bared generous amount of bare skin when her shirt hitched upwards. Small, white patch of old scar tissue on her lower back glowed in the darkness. Suddenly he had the urge to nuzzle it. Lick it. Taste her skin once again.
“I think I’ll have a cigar…” He muttered, shifting on his seat, practically salivating from the sight of that small patch of skin.
“You can smoke in the cabin, I don’t mind,” Marie said, opening the door of the cab.
“I’m just fine in here…” Logan grunted forcing himself to stay put when Marie hopped down and sprinted to the cabin under the pouring rain.

Cigar really wasn’t what he craved, so he settled just to chew on it instead of smoking. Cracked his knuckles and listened the steady drum of rain. Hellish two-week period in the close proximity of Marie was finally over. He was quite sure that he could let his guard down. Loosen up a bit. Now that there were more space, and no other people around, it would be easier. Had to be easier. Because if it wasn’t, that left him only one option: To leave. For good this time.

Sharp knock on the window pulled him from his thoughts. Marie stood outside, drenched through.
“Are you planning to stay out here all night? I would like to go back to sleep, but I have to lock the door first,” he could hear her shout over the rain.
“I’m coming…” He grunted, took his bag and followed her inside.

There was slightly mouldy smell floating in the air. Water was dripping from the kitchen ceiling.
“We can’t stay here for long. You’ll get sick.”
“But this is my home…” Marie started, but fell silent when he unsheathed his claws and took a step away from him. He plunged them through the wet spot on the floor, shattering wood before letting them slide back in.
“It’s decayed. And there’s mold. Not a good combination to your health,” He said, picking up a splinter and showing it to her.
“Shit. Fucking unbelievable. Can’t I just… What if I just replaced the floorboards with new ones?” Marie asked, rubbing the bridge of her nose.
“Won’t work. You won’t get rid of mold that way. Better just burn this place and build a new one.”
“I don’t think I can do that. There’s so much life, so many memories in this house… My whole life…”
“Your life will end here; within a year if you’re lucky. I have seen what this stuff does to people. Eats up their brain and lungs. I have seen them suffering years, turning slowly to babbling idiots who can’t even breathe on their own. If you can’t do it, I will.”
“Just because it’s easy for you to cut ties when things get difficult, doesn’t mean that it’s easy for me! This is the only place, the only thing I have left from Sam! You can’t expect me just to torch it like it was nothing!”
“Sam has fucking nothing to do with this! And do you really think he would want you to stay here, keep living in this filth and get sick over it?”

Just moments ago he had been pondering how to keep his paws off from Marie. Now he picked her up from the back of her shirt and carried her out from the cabin, taking their bags with them.
“We’re going to the settlement. I’ll book us a room from the Inn. Tomorrow I’ll find you a place to stay, and come back here. I’ll burn this place and build you a new house.”
“Let me go! Logan, let me go!” Marie was screaming and trashing in his grip, trying to squirm loose. Finally he gave up and dropped her to the ground, face down to the mud, and turned to throw their bags to the truck. Something wet and sticky splashed to the back of his head. He scraped it off; texture revealing him it was mud. Another sticky lump connected to his backside, right between his shoulder blades.
“Marie…”

“I’m fucking tired of this! As soon as it looks like that it’s time to settle down, something happens and I have to leave again! I’m not built like you! I want… I need something permanent! Something tangible! Something I can touch and say this is mine!” Marie shouted, lobbing yet another mud ball to his direction. Logan dodged it lunging towards her and grasping her from the front of her shirt, pulling her face to face with him.
“You think I enjoy emptiness? You think it’s a good life for me? When there’s nothing to expect, nothing to keep me in place? Absolutely nothing, no reason to keep going? I had a life, once. With you. I screwed it up. I’m trying to take care that at least you could have something…” His voice faltered when Marie clasped her hands to his cheeks.
“Why the hell this has to be so hard?” She whispered, leaning closer and brushing his lips with her own.
“Marie?” His voice was trembling. A question. A plea. She closed her eyes and pressed against him more firmly, tangling her hands to his wet hair and pulling him to another kiss.

He stumbled backwards, pulling her with him, reluctant to break the kiss. Finally he felt the truck behind his back and leaned against it. He needed the support. His body wasn’t cooperating. He couldn’t breathe and his legs felt strangely numb. His heart was working overtime; he could feel it pounding in his ears. There was mud and rain. There was Marie. Warm, alive, pressing against him and thrusting her tongue in his mouth, tasting him. Willing to share this with him.
“To hell with the mold…” He whispered when Marie wrapped her legs around his waist. At least cabin would be warm. There would be a real bed.

“Are you sure about this?” Marie nodded to his whispered question when he lowered her gently to her bed.
“It’s time. It’s time to stop hurting. Time to stop being afraid.” Yet he couldn’t make himself move to the bed before she took his hand and pulled him next to her.
“Just… If it’s too much, tell me to stop. Tell me to stop, and I’ll stop…”
“Shut up, Logan…” She silenced him by kissing him again, hungry mouth devouring his.
“I don’t want you to stop…”

“I think I’m going to be sick…”

It had been perfect. Tender, loving and passionate. Everything they both had craved for nearly two decades. Just two of them, becoming one feeling creature, amalgam of sweat slicked skin, heat and hushed whispers. Soft caresses, small moans and gasps. Both of them relaxed, exhausted, but immensely satisfied afterwards. They had fallen asleep, still joined together, cradling each other.

Dream had taken him by surprise. Strapped down to a cool metal table, surrounded by inky darkness. Blinking lights closing in from above. Low hum echoing in his ears, steady, relentless pull tugging in his lower abdomen. Voices around him. Pen on paper. Men talking about the procedure.
“We could increase the power. Test the full capacity of sperm production…”

He had flown away from the bed, his gut-wrenching scream waking Marie. Now he was sitting naked on the floor, rocking back and forth, trying to calm down. He couldn’t close his eyes. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t make his limbs obey. His thighs and abdomen were cramping. Sweat was pouring from him in sheets.
“Logan, it’s alright…” Marie draped a blanket over his shoulders and tried to help him back to bed.
“No…”
“Come back to bed. It’s all right. Everything’s alright…”
“I think I’m going to be sick…” He crawled across the floor on his hands and knees, blanket flapping around him. He made it to the front porch. Bile rose to the back of his throat, but he didn’t dare to let it out. Internal cramps forced him to curl on his side. Cool night air, fresh from the rain, felt heavenly in his lungs. He tried to breathe deeply. To make his body obey.

“Logan?” Marie was standing at the doorstep. Too far away. He reached towards her.
“Come here…” She crouched next to him. He grabbed her and buried his head to her lap. Her scent surrounded him. Sound of her heartbeat vanquished the last remainder of his dream, the hum of the machine. Her hands rubbed his stomach, loosening the knotted muscles.
“Christ…” Tears he had held back for years spilled over, making him hide his face deeper to her lap, nearly crushing her in the circle of his arms.

“Are you really okay with this?” Logan asked with a thick voice when Marie helped him back inside.
“Yes. We both need this. I have missed this.”
“I can go, you know. Just tell me if you don’t want me to stay…”
“Logan, come back to bed. It’s cold.”
“I can go. I can. But can I stay this one night? I… Just one night…” Marie pushed him to the bed and crawled under the blanket next to him.
“I don’t want you to go. I want you to stay with me.”
“How long?”
“As long as you want. Calm down, Logan. It was just a nightmare.”
“Can I hold you?”
“Yes. Wait, no. Not like this…” She felt sudden surge of fear when Logan tried to spoon with her. She was already better, but she wasn’t yet able to trust herself not to bolt from the feel of Logan draped over her back. She turned around, cuddling against Logan’s chest, his trembling hands cradling her to him.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I couldn’t stop it. I tried, but I was so fucking scared…”
“It’s okay, Logan.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. Go back to sleep.”

“How were you planning to do it?” Marie asked. They were sitting in the kitchen. Logan had patched up the hole on the floor and they were drinking coffee.
“How? Just wait until this place is dry enough and burn it down. It’ll take couple of months to build a new one. You can live at the settlement until I get it finished.”
“But I don’t have enough money… You do realize you can’t make everything by yourself? There’s stuff you have to buy…”
“I have money. You don’t have to worry about it.” He had considerable amount of credits stashed away. Twenty years of living alone, fighting and using the traits he learned in the Army had paid well. Up until now there really had been no reason to spend it.
“I don’t want it. I don’t want to go back there, when I had nothing. I don’t want to be in debt for you.”
“It’s not a loan. I would say it’s an investment for my future. Shit… I didn’t want to talk about this…” Logan huffed and stood up, started pacing.
“You’re not immortal, Marie. Eventually you grow old and die. That’s… I can’t follow you there. I want to keep you here with me as long as I can…” Her hand paused in mid-air, steaming cup of coffee just inches from her lips.
“That means I have to take care of you. Make sure you stay healthy. I’m not going to loose you to some fucking fungus. Or anything else as trivial, for that matter. You’re the only thing I have left.”

“Marie!”
“Fuck you, Logan!” He slumped to the floor, leaning his back against the door. Tore off soaked, coffee-scented shirt and threw it away.
“Come on. I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I’m not talking to you!” He let his head fall against the wooden surface behind him and closed his eyes. It had been something that had been on his mind for quite some time now. She would grow old and die. There was no way around that fact. He had tucked it away, something to discuss with her later. Much, much later. It had come out too soon. And all wrong. She had thrown him with what had been left of her coffee and locked herself to her bedroom.

She obviously wasn’t comfortable with the subject. He wasn’t comfortable with the subject. But it was something inevitable. Cycle of life. Her growing old didn’t bother him a bit. Why the fuck should he care. It was the dying part that rankled him. Made him want to pop his claws and growl a threat. Right. Like it would make any difference.

“Open this door, Marie. I need to talk with you.”
“Fuck off! I’m not in the mood to talk with you.” He sighed and twisted the doorknob. It refused to budge. He leaned against the door. Once he had known a girl who could phase through walls. He would have given anything to trade his mutation with hers right now. Of course it wasn’t possible. She was dead. Had been dead for decades.
“We really need to talk.”
“So? Talk. But don’t expect me to listen!” Marie shouted.
“Fuck this,” he grunted and eyed the door, unsheathing his claws. They cut through the wood effortlessly, severing the locking mechanism.

She came in low, raining hard punches to his stomach and sides. Logan grunted, nearly toppling over but managed to grab her wrists and forced her backwards, against the wall.
“Either finish me off now, or let me take care of you…” He growled, face only inches from hers. Blue fire was swirling in her eyes.
“Here. I’ll make it easy for you…” He muttered, pinning her to the wall with his hip, pulling her both hands down to his chest, palms flat against his skin.
“What are you waiting for? Just do it.”
“Didn’t think so…” He snorted and let go of her hands. Sudden cold draining feeling made him fall to his knees in front of her, gasping for air. She followed, palms still flat against him.
“Is this what you want?” He could hear her hiss.
“Keep me… Or let me go…” He snarled through clenched teeth, trying to stop squirming. Marie took care of that problem, straddling him, still leaning on his chest. Her eyes were completely blue.
“Can’t let you go… But I need something from you…” She said, leaning closer and licking his lower lip.
“You in my head, Wolverine, had an interesting theory…”

“What the fuck… Are you doing… To me…” She was straddling him, holding him down and draining him from his power like a leech. Slow, small jolts, enough to weaken him and bring pain, but not enough to strip him from his consciousness.
“I’m making sure that you don’t have to be afraid of loosing me… If I take enough, it may be permanent… Just like the force field in the Free Zone…”
“Oh… Shit…” He grit his teeth, new hope rising. Maybe she was right. Maybe it could work.
“Take what you need,” he growled, hooking his hands to the frame of the bed behind him.
“I’ll try to make it quick. But I need so much… Have to be careful. I don’t want to kill you…”

Every memory he had from the past, every single shred of that horrid time at the mercies of the breeding center flared back in to life behind his closed eyelids. His body responded to the pull in level that Mechanics had taught it to respond. Agonized whimper escaped from his lips.
“Open your eyes… That’s it… You’re with me. You’re with me…” It was Marie’s face instead of the greedy, impersonal machine above him when he opened his eyes.
“Stay with me…” Pull crept in his veins, making his heart falter and skip over beats. As soon as he thought it was going to stop she cut the connection for few seconds, just enough time for his heart to pick up the pace again.

“Enough?” He managed to rasp when she released him. He couldn’t even wait for her answer before he was crawling away from her, instincts telling him to flee.
“Was it fucking enough?” He asked with a harsher tone, backing against the wall, hands cradled protectively around his torso. She nodded and reached for him. He flinched away from her, away from her touch.
“Keep your fucking hands off from me…” He couldn’t stop it. The fear and hate that it provoked, to be completely at her mercy.
“Was it enough?” He asked again, forcing himself to grasp her hand and pulling it back to his exposed skin. He wasn’t sure if he could do it later anymore even if she hadn’t gotten what she needed.
“It was. I think. I’m… I’m pretty sure…” He released her hand and shoved her away from him.
“Good. Get the fuck away from me. Don’t touch me…” He could only hope she understood his need to be alone now.

She understood his behavior completely. She had him in her mind now. Screaming and spewing curses, and in the next moment apologizing before insulting her some more. It was like a rollercoaster, to swing along with mercurial shifts in his emotions. From complete darkness and utter fear and hate to love and caring within seconds. He hated her for having the upper hand and yet he was immensely proud of her strength.

It took him good part of the day to come out of the stupor. She was sitting at the front porch, drinking coffee and watching the sunset when he came out and sat on the porch.
“Are we okay?” She asked. He just sat there, gazing to the setting sun and breathing deeply.
“Yeah.” He finally answered.
“Good. I have been thinking… Would it be possible to move away from here now?” She asked. That made him look up to her and furrow his brows.
“Now that I got your senses, I can see why you said this place is unhealthy. I think I can’t stand a minute inside of that cabin. I nearly choked in the kitchen while I made this coffee.”
“Hmph… I’m in no condition to start moving. Maybe in the morning. We can sleep in the truck tonight if the smell bothers you.”
“Can I… Touch you?” Marie asked, sliding off the chair she sat, sitting next to him on the porch instead. Logan blinked nervously and swallowed.
“Okay…”

She approached him carefully, showing him her bare palm before cupping his cheek with it. He closed his eyes and she could feel him trembling.
“It’s over. It won’t hurt anymore. And I’m quite sure it worked. Apart from the power from the force field I have never kept powers or personalities in me this long.”
“Come here…” Logan gasped and pulled her to his embrace, burying his face to the crook of her neck.
“You’re like me now?” He asked hesitantly. She nodded.
“I get to keep you with me?”
“As long as you’ll have me. I’m not going anywhere,” she confirmed. Tension left his body along with a relieved sob, which he muffled against her skin.
“I was so fucking afraid of what would happen. What I would became after you were gone. I know I’m a selfish bastard, but all I thought about was that it wasn’t fair that I would loose you after everything…” He pulled his face from her throat and cupped her cheeks, placing a soft kiss to her lips.
“You’re not going to loose me. Not…” His lips drank the last words from her mouth; kiss no longer soft, but hungry.

He leaned against the railing.
“Your clothes. Get them off.” It was an order, barked with harsh voice. She quickly complied. His gaze never left her body when he stood up and undressed.
“Come here.” She walked to him, little hesitant and nervous. He had never acted this way with her before. One hand reached for her, grasping her buttocks and pulling her against him. Other snaked between them, parting her legs and finding her cleft, and small bundle of nerves. Few firm strokes over it made her squirm from pleasure and grab his shoulders to prevent her from collapsing. She could feel his cock, hard and throbbing, poking her upper thigh. It was hot as a poker, and leaving glistening trail of his seed on her skin. His fingers were teasing her, coaxing the moisture from her opening, preparing her. Flicking over her clit time after time, until she was nothing but a quivering mass of nerves, nearly sobbing from the force of her orgasm. That’s when she felt his hands on her hips, turning her around, pushing her to lean against the railing.
“Logan…”
“Shut up.” Low growl. Fast and powerful thrust, and he was filling her core, stretching her open and pounding in to her, teeth lodged to her shoulder and hands holding her in front of him, heavy weight of his body covering her back.

She screamed and bolted to her feet, throwing away the cup of coffee she had been nursing, scaring Logan who had been sitting at her feet, lost in his own thoughts. He stood up, scanning their surroundings.
“What is it?” He asked sharply, not finding anything unusual. Second time she had spilled coffee on him during this day.

He had come out from the cabin, fully intending to apologize his erratic behavior earlier, but she had been sleeping on a chair. Coffee in the cup had been cold already. He had seen no need to take it away. As soon as he had sat beside the chair, grazing her bare feet accidentally, arousal had tinged her scent and she had murmured something incoherent in her sleep. Next thing he realized she was screaming her lungs out, shivering in the furthest corner of the small porch, trying to crawl away from him.

“Marie?” He was crouching in front of her, mindful of leaving a small distance, some room for her. Much like he had asked her to do earlier.
“Don’t. I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. Please, don’t hurt me…” she was babbling.
“I’m not going to hurt you. You had a nightmare?” Logan asked with a gentle voice, easing backwards, offering her some more space.
“It was a dream? Oh, God… It was a dream…”
“Want to talk to me about it?” Logan asked sitting to the chair she had been sitting moment ago. It was still warm from her body heat. Marie walked to him slowly.
“Fuck with me.”

“Huh?”
“I asked you to fuck me,” Marie said, straddling him and grinding against his crotch. Logan took her hips and stilled her movement.
“Sorry. Doesn’t work that way. Ask nicely…”
“That’s not what you thought about when we touched,” she said.
“What I thought about you, us, when you were draining me, hardly matter. I wasn’t quite… Coherent. What ever shit you picked up, forget it.”
“But…”
“I would love to fuck you. Right now. Every possible way you let me. But only if it’s what you want, too. I’m not doing it if it’s some sort of test, or you feel the need to prove something.”
“Fine. I’m going to bed.” Marie stood up, stomped in to the cabin, but left the door open.

For some reason his reluctance, even when it came as a relief, hurt.

“You have to let it go. Now. You have had fucking twenty years to deal with that shit. Looks like you just pushed it away and hoped it would never come back.” His voice was calm in the darkness.
“Let it go? Logan…”
“Shut the fuck up, and listen. I’m going to do something I promised to myself I wouldn’t do anymore. Not ever. I’m going to force you to make a decision. Listen carefully.”
“Logan…”
“Hush. Now… Which is it going to be? Me, or them? Which one do you want in your life?”
“What do you mean?”
“Choose! Now!”
“Are you nuts? You! Of course you! It has always been you!” Marie screamed.
“Then start acting like it! I have had enough of this shit! I want to be close to you! Love you and hold you! Stop making it so fucking difficult!”
“I don’t know how…”
“It would be a good start if you stopped cringing every time I get closer than two meter radius from you. It’s making me sick. Like I was some sort of monster. Because I’m not. I’m not even trying to claim that I wasn’t there. I was there when it happened. But the part of me that did it to you, it’s gone. I don’t… I couldn’t do that to you. Not anymore. Not even if my life depended on it.”
“I’m trying. I really am…”
“Try harder. We’re going to end up killing each other if we continue like this.”

She knew he was right. She knew she had every right to be scared and suspicious, but it made healing and building the new life for them impossible. New life. She glanced around in the cabin, scent of mold and old memories stirring to surface. Sam. Love and momentarily fear and hatred towards the child. Unsurety of what would eventually happen. Constant struggle for making it past yet another day. Memories of the past, of the Breeding Center creeping in and making a nest. She could see it now. The deliberate way everything in the cabin was made and arranged. Every item easily reachable. Certain way some things were stacked up. Even the way she had placed the door and the windows, to allow fast packing and fleeing if the need came.

“Could we… I think it would be better… I would be better if we left,” she whispered. Logan just stared at her, waiting for her to continue.
“The whole time I spent in here with Sam, building this place and making sure everything went well… I thought I was making a home. This isn’t a home. This is a hideout. I don’t need to hide anymore.” Logan nodded.
“I’m glad you finally figured it out.”