The slam of the front door alerted everyone that Logan was back, and more importantly so was Rogue. The way that people, even the strong, tough X-Men disappeared would at any other time been laughable. This time however, it went unnoticed by both of the two people storming through the mansion in visibly eye-catching fury.

“When are you going to get a brain Rogue?” Logan’s furious growl could peel paint as he stomped toward the stairs, intent on getting to his room and showering. Having to fight some prick so he could bring his girl back wasn’t his idea of how to spend an afternoon - at least not so he could spend time with her. A glance down revealed the blood on his shirt, the rumpled, torn flannel and his anger spiked again.

“What’s the matter Logan? Can’t handle the thought that someone else might care about me? Or maybe its just cause you didn’t say I could go!” Rogue snarled back stomping along the hallway a half step behind Logan.

“Only an idiot would go there in broad daylight! I never thought you were an idiot, at least until now!” Logan snarled as he jerked open his bedroom door and stepped inside.

“Figures,” Rogue growled as Logan glanced coldly at her and closed his bedroom door.

“We’ll discuss it later Rogue,” Logan’s words echoed through the door and she swore before stalking down the hall to her bedroom and slamming the door with enough force to shake the wall.


After a shower, a beer, and a change of clothes Logan felt marginally better. He still didn’t understand what would have possessed Rogue to go to that bar but he planned on figuring it out. Sure she’d developed a lot of skills that he’d left her with from the last absorption- but it in no way prepared her to deal with the shit she would’ve had to.

With a shake of his head he jerked open his bedroom door and listened, the sound of things hitting the wall told him where she was and he headed down the hall to her room. Walking in without knocking, he ducked just as she threw a heavy lamp at him, his reflexes saving his head at the last second.

“I see you decided to come and yell at me some more,” Rogue growled at him her eyes all but flashing with anger.

“How many times have I told you to be careful Rogue, how many times do I have to keep doing this? I don’t want you to get hurt. Do you have any idea of what he would have done? You’d have been lucky to get out of there with you head on your shoulders!” Logan’s anger came out in the low growl.

“I don’t believe this!” Rogue’s furious shout echoed in the hall and the few students who were brave enough to remain within hearing distance of one of her temper tantrums fled.

“You don’t believe this? Fuck what were you thinking? Do you even understand what could have happened?” Logan’s furious growl was enough to send chills up the spine of even the toughest man, but all it did was anger Rogue further. “He was military! Meaning he was probably working with some lab - a place you don’t want to end up Rogue!”

“I was just having fun Logan. Something you obviously have no idea about!” Rogue shouted back tossing a lamp at him.

“Fun?! Fun, is that what you call it? You could have been hurt, arrested, any number of things and you think that its fun?” Logan shouted back fury in every muscle of his body.

“I think you have no right to butt into my business,” Rogue replied coldly, her arms crossed over her chest.

“I made it my business years ago Rogue,” Logan shot back angrily. “Or have you forgotten..”

“I don’t need you to watch out for me anymore Logan,” the words were fired in anger and pride. “I don’t need a protector, or a father figure in my life anymore! I sure as hell don’t need to be told what to do like some sort of pathetic child!”

“Well if you quit acting like some child you wouldn’t get treated like one!” Logan snarled fury in his gaze.

“I don’t need you Logan!” Rogue snapped angrily throwing her hands up. “I don’t want you anywhere around me if all you’re going to do is act like some pompous jerk..”

“Like you’d know the difference,” Logan’s tone was even, his face expressionless.

“Just leave me alone!” Rogue shouted. “Don’t you listen Logan, I DO NOT NEED YOU!”

With a cold look at her, Logan shrugged and nodded. “I heard you the first time Rogue,” With an indifferent look at her, he pulled out a cigar and stuck it between his teeth. Turning he walked away, leaving Rogue standing smoldering in rage even as her bedroom door clicked shut.



Stalking back to his room, Logan settled on his bed and reached for the remote control. Flicking the tube on he settled on a game of hockey his knuckles showing white with the force of his claws pressing against them.

Reaching over he grabbed a beer and focused on the game, his mind echoing the words she’d said over and over again but he refused to move, refused to bend. The fact that she didn’t want him, didn’t need him burnt and he swallowed harshly the urge to cry intense but he pushed it aside.

What good was it to look out for someone when they didn’t want you to? He wondered softly as he lit his cigar and took a deep drag. With a sad shake of his head, he focused instead on the game pushing all thoughts of Rogue aside, at least until darkness fell.

Dinner came and went and Logan still sat on his bed, his gaze focused on another game, his mind blanking out any stray thought of Rogue until he was sure he could sleep. Tomorrow he’d see what her thoughts were, and if they were the same then he’d have to make some choices.



Groaning softly as he rolled over Logan opened his eyes and swore. Usually after one of their fights, after an argument Rogue would often wait until he was asleep before she came and crawled in with him - this time though she wasn’t laying next to him. Feeling a fresh wave of what he told himself was fury hit him he rose, the need to tear his room apart pressing at him.

Restraining himself, Logan rose and headed for the shower. A few minutes later dressed in his sweats and a t-shirt he headed for the Danger Room and a long, tiring workout.

Hours later covered in sweat, his body screaming out that it needed a break Logan grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from his brow before he exited the room. Heading down the hall he spotted Rogue standing talking to her friends, catching her gaze he swallowed painfully.

A dark scowl marked his face as she glanced at him coldly before turning back to her conversation with the Yellow Wonder, and Logan felt the knife twist a little tighter, a little deeper.

If that was the way she wanted it, then she’d get what she wanted, he thought as he headed up the stairs for a shower, and to pack. His promise to her was the only thing that kept him here and if she didn’t need him any longer then he was getting the fuck outta here.

Dropping his bag by the door, Logan headed down to see Charles before he left. The old guy had been nice to him and he figured he owed him something, although he had no intention of telling him exactly why he was leaving. There was no doubt in Logan’s mind that Charles would know, he was after all a telepath and a powerful one at that, no it was best this way.

With a soft knock he stepped into Charles’s office noting that Scott was sitting there. With an indifferent glance at him Logan turned his attention to the Professor.


“Logan, I was just going to send for you,” Charles looked up at him and smiled. “We found some military files that might interest you..”

“Yeah?” Logan asked sitting down and staring at the Professor a cold, dark look on his face.

“Yes,” Charles smiled, noting the dark look in passing. “I figured you would want to know about them. I’ve printed out the data, it isn’t much but it is something.”

“Thanks Chuck, appreciate it!” Logan said taking the sheets of paper and flipping through them. “I might just head up there and check it out if you don’t mind. Could be nothing, could be..”

“Of course not,” Charles eyed Scott who was staring at Logan like he’d grown a second head. A glance at Logan revealed the cold, set look of the man he’d been the first time he’d come into this office years before - only this time Charles could clearly read the pain in his gaze.

“I can fly you up there,” Scott offered.

“Naw Scott, I’ll just take the bike,” Logan rumbled and rose to pad out the door his gaze still on the paperwork, unaware of the shocked look on both men’s faces. There wasn’t much there that he didn’t already know but it was better than nothing and it gave him the perfect excuse to make his getaway.

It took him less than ten minutes to retrieve his bag, climb on Scott’s bike, and pull out of the driveway. The minute he was on the main road though he didn’t head north, he headed for town, for a bar and the quiet darkness of a beer joint.



Still angry at Logan, Rogue paced the confines of her room her mind whirling, her pride still firmly in place. How dare he treat her like some child, like she was stupid, she fumed. She was a grown woman, capable of thinking for herself, she didn’t need anyone to tell her she was being difficult.

Besides, that guy had only been flirting with her it wasn’t like she’d been in any danger! Logan had no reason to bust his skull and drag her back to the mansion. Just cause he’d made a promise to her when she’d been a terrified kid, didn’t mean she wanted him to look out for her now.

With a shake of her head, Rogue settled onto her bed laying on her stomach as she stared at the wall. Logan was her best friend in the whole world, but sometimes his possessive streak was just too big. He wanted her to be safe, to be cared about but he wasn’t willing to step out on that limb. He just assumed that she would be content with the crumbs of affection he tossed her way!


Rolling onto her back she swore, they’d known each other too long, seen the darkness to often together for her to tolerate this sort of foolishness. With a soft sigh, she closed her eyes, knowing Logan he was in some bar pouting, which served him right. He wasn’t her father, he wasn’t her brother, or her guardian, she wasn’t sure what exactly he was but she knew what he wasn’t.

“Hey Rogue!” Jubilee’s familiar voice had her glancing at the door as it swung open.

“Yeah Jubes,” Rogue said slowly.

“You up for a movie?” Jubilee held up the video cover to a new Sci-fi movie and Rogue sat up.

Might as well watch it, it wasn’t like she had a choice about what she could do. “Sure, what is it about?”

“Don’t know, just grabbed it cause its got a really hot looking guy in it!” Jubilee said popping it into the VCR and settling next to Rogue on the bed. Wordlessly they watched the opening credits, and the start of the movie.

Shifting slightly, Jubilee looked at Rogue and sighed, “Hey Chica you look miserable, why don’t you just go talk to him?”

“Cause he ain’t here,” Rogue growled softly. “He went into town to some stupid bar to sulk.”

“And you stayed here to sulk?”

“Something like that,” Rogue replied quietly before moving on the bed, pulling her legs up to rest her chin on her knees. “I just wish he would relax, let me prove I can deal with life!”

“We both know Logan’s always been possessive as hell about you,” Jubilee said softly. “Ever since he came back that first time, he’s always been about you. Maybe he just can’t handle the thought of you being hurt.”

“Maybe he just can’t handle the thought that I’m my own person, that he can’t control me,” Rogue muttered crossly.

With a sigh Jubilee shook her head, “Naw I can’t see that. I mean yes he is possessive and everyone in the mansion knows you’re HIS girl but I think its just cause he cares.”

“Watch the movie Jubes,” Rogue sighed sadly. “We both know Logan’s his own person, his motivations are his own.”

“Still, I say you should try to talk to him. You’ve been pissed at him for two days now with no sign of letting up. You’re beginning to freak everyone out Rogue, you’ve never stayed angry at Logan this long before.”

With a sideways glance at Jubilee Rogue sighed, “I know,” she whispered softly. “Watch the movie Jubes.”


With a slight nod Jubilee turned back to the television, focusing on the invading critters and pushing thoughts of Logan and Rogue’s rocky relationship to the back of her mind, after all their relationship wasn’t her business.



Glancing out the window, Rogue stared at the steady rain that fell. The day was grey and dreary, clearly suited to her mood when one thought about it. In the week that Logan had been gone, Rogue had gone from being furious to concerned to where she was today, desperate. Sucking in a deep breath she ran a hand through her hair and pulled Logan’s shirt tighter around her.

It had taken her a while to realize that Jubes was right, she did need to talk to him. Needed to explain that her words had been spoken in anger and pride. That she hadn’t meant anything by them.

With a slight groan she tossed herself on the bed and stared at the ceiling her nose buried in the shirt. Her Momma had been right when she’d said that she should never say what she couldn’t take back. There really was no way to take back what she’d said about Logan’s need to protect her, hell she knew how much he’d given up to be here.

Rolling over to face the wall she sighed, Logan was solitary and nomadic by nature, he’d spent so many years on the road that it had become part of who he was. For him to suddenly decide to stay rooted in one spot, to spend his life in one place was noteworthy.

Rogue had seen the restlessness in his eyes on more than one occasion and she’d always smiled to herself when he drug her along on a road trip to somewhere educational like Niagra Falls, or Long Island, or Lake Michigan - anywhere that got him out of the mansion for a while. She’d enjoyed the way he relaxed a little more, the way he suddenly was easier to talk to. The way he smiled at her when they weren’t stuck at the mansion.

Awareness crept in to of exactly how he’d quit fighting in the cages, he hadn’t gone into town to fight in years, there had been no lusty women for him, nothing like he’d had when he was on the road before the train. Instead Logan had settled down - as much as he could without driving himself insane - and he’d done it without complaint, without holding a grudge, or holding it over her head. Why? Because he’d promised to be there for her. Promised to look out for her and Logan kept his word!

Blinking at the sting of tears she sighed and rolled over to face her bedside table. Scanning the bedside table she sighed and dropped the shirt on the bed before rising and heading for the door. She needed to go into Logan’s room to find some clue as to where he might have gone. She had to apologize, to make him come home even if it killed her!

Padding down the hall in her sock feet she paused before his room and glanced up and down the hall before slipping inside and closing the door softly. A flick of the light switch revealed the room was neat, tidy, and obviously hadn’t been disturbed in ages.

With a muted groan she headed for the dresser and started jerking open drawers, panic setting in as she realized that his clothes were gone. It wasn’t until she jerked open the closet doors and noted the empty coat hangers that she really began to freak out.

Every piece of clothing, every sign of his existence had been erased like he wasn’t planning on coming back and that stung. Feeling the burn of tears behind her eyes, Rogue sucked in a deep breath hoping to calm the urge only to have it explode into sobs as she sank to the floor of the closet and cried.


Sitting in his small hotel room Logan stared out at the grey rainy outdoors of New York and cursed. For some reason he hadn’t been able to even leave the friggin state, instead he was stuck sitting in a hotel room waiting for something although he didn’t know what it was. Turning from the window he picked up his cold beer and took a long drink even as a knock echoed on the door.

“Housekeeping,” a chipper voice had him grimacing as he recognized the young woman who’d appeared every day at the same time to see if he wanted any service. Her words were professional, but the look in her eyes, and the smell of arousal coming off her was anything but. Stalking to the door he jerked it open and raised an eyebrow indifferently at her.

“Good morning,” the young woman smiled at him easily. “Did you need anything today? Fresh towels? Sheets changed?”

“Sure whatever, I’m headin’ out for about an hour,” Logan grunted and stepped out into the hallway before stalking down the corridor. He could feel her gaze on him with each step he took and he had to restrain himself from popping the claws and scaring the shit outta her.

Sliding into the hotel’s restaurant he plopped his butt on one of the stools at the counter and caught the waitress’s gaze. After ordering the usual for him he sat back and waited, his patience stretching thin as his thoughts turned to the young woman he cared about the most. It had been a tough week, not being able to go to her, not being able to see her. A week he didn’t want to repeat but he didn’t think she would want to see him, not the way she was looking at him the last time they’d seen each other.

Feeling the chill wash over him at the thought of her cold anger he shuddered and reached for his coffee, he didn’t want to be within miles of the mansion and yet he couldn’t force himself onto the road.

“Damned if I do, damned if I don’t,” he muttered under his breath and lit a cigarette.



The quiet interior of the bar was broken only by the strains of a rock song booming out of the jukebox as two men sat at a table, discussing the pile of paperwork that they had before them.


“Any idea where she went?” one man asked, his face badly bruised and three long, deep gashes creeping from his hairline down to under his shirt.

“No, we lost her after the other Mutie took her outta here. I say we should just move on, find another one.”

“And what good is that going to do? We’ll be back within a week cause the big guys want her!”

“We don’t have much of a choice,” the words were spoken slowly, frustration soaking them. “We have to show something for this mission. You think the boss is going to pay us for this little holiday? I don’t think so. Besides that we could be at home right now. I could be spending some quality time with my wife, my kids.”

“You’ll get paid Miller, just quit worrying about. Now we gotta figure out how to get our subject. If we don’t we’re screwed.”

“She was kinda cute wasn’t she?” laughter laced the words.

“Hell yeah. Killer rack on her, nice legs. Just the way I like ‘em.”

“Nothing saying that we have to take her right back to the lab huh?”

“No,” the smirk crossing the man’s face was filled with lust, and anger. “We get her today, it takes four days to drive back. That’s four days we can have a little fun with her, whose gonna say anything?”

“Yeah, I’d give anything for a piece of that body,” with a small groan the man smirked at his partner. “We have to find her.”

“We will.”

“We’d better grab the gun, just in case the other Mutie’s with her. Wouldn’t want to tangle with him again.”

“Already got it,” the low, angry drawl did little to hide the pure rage behind the thought as the man trailed a hand down his face over the fresh wounds. He had to pay that prick back for this, and he would.

“Any restrictions with this one?”

“Deadly skin,” the man laughed. “So looks like we’re going to invest in some condoms before we find her.”


Laughing the two men gathered their paperwork, and rose to pad out of the bar and into the drizzle of a New York day. Together they crawled into a black jeep, intent on finding a drug store before they went on the hunt for their quarry.


Rogue sighed as she pulled on the ball cap and grabbed her jacket before heading downstairs. Slipping out into the cold, wet day she sighed and hurried for the battered jeep she drove. Logan had spent a month working on rebuilding it from the ground up with her and she loved the old piece of junk.

Cranking the engine over she sighed and glanced at the list of Logan’s favorite bars on the seat beside her before she headed into town, apprehension filling her at the thought of confronting Logan.

Driving into town she pulled into a parking lot and killed the engine before sliding from the truck and heading inside. It didn’t take her long to figure out that Logan wasn’t there, in fact the bar tender hadn’t seen him in a couple of days.

Again and again, going through the list of bars Logan liked the answer was always the same. Sorry no Logan, hasn’t been here for days. With each sentence Rogue’s hopes fell, cascading around her shoulders like broken glass.

Standing next to her jeep she jerked her hat off and tossed it onto the seat angrily, swiping at the tears even as she sighed. There was only two more places to go before she’d have to head back to the mansion and ask the Professor to find him.

Dreading that possibility Rogue opened the door to her jeep, unaware of the dark vehicle that had just pulled into the parking lot and was rolling up behind her.

The sudden shuffling of feet drew her attention a moment before a gloved hand slammed down, clamping itself onto her upper arm. Before she could react, before she could even scream she was being drug backwards into the jeep, a hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming.

Struggling as hard as she could she bit down hard, wincing at the sudden acrid taste of blood even as she felt the blow land on the side of her face, dazing her momentarily. Blinking furiously trying to clear her mind she barely felt the hard grip tighten around her arm, or the way the world tilted, upending so that she was laying flat on her stomach her face pressed mercilessly into the rough carpet of the vehicle’s back seat.

A sudden sharp pinch in her hip precede a wave of darkness as it washed over her, dragging her under even as her last thought was of Logan. Praying that he’d find her, Rogue slid into the darkness concern and fear warring within her even as her world went black.


“Well that was relatively easy,” the scarred man drawled glancing behind the seat at the young woman laying unconscious.


“Yep, no other Muties around to stop us. Come on, lets get back to the hotel and get our gear before we head for home. I’m gonna call and give us a couple extra days, tell the boss we found her but we need a couple days to get her out.”

“Sounds good, sounds reeeeal good.”


Charles frowned as something tickled at his mind, some darkness that he couldn’t quite figure out. He knew Logan hadn’t left New York, in fact he was parked downtown in some rat infested hotel waiting on some sign that he could come home. The mere fact that Logan hadn’t left the state much less the country told him that the papers that he’d handed the burly Canadian had been filed in his back pack without a second thought.

Sending out a mild searching thought to Rogue, he grew concerned when he couldn’t sense her at all. She wasn’t in the mansion, she wasn’t anywhere she should have been. A quick scan of Jubilation and Kitty’s minds revealed that she’d left the day before and hadn’t come back. And he knew she wasn’t with Logan, if she had been the confused pain in his mind would have been gone. No, something told Charles that Rogue was in danger, serious danger.

With a muttered apology to his class, Charles headed down to the lower levels to Cerebro, he needed to find Rogue before it was too late. Settling the helmet on his head, Charles sighed and relaxed, focusing his mind on searching for Rogue’s particular brain wavelength.

Gasping when he didn’t find it with Cerebro’s help he tried again, noting the slightly fuzzy sensation that hinted at her whereabouts. Jerking the helmet off he stared at it for a moment then turned away from it.

With his mind scrambling for an explanation he sighed, the only way her mind would be so fuzzy and indistinct was if she was highly sedated. Feeling his stomach twist he paused in the med lab and picked up the telephone.

Dialing it he waited for the phone to be picked up before he spoke calmly, “Logan you need to come back to the mansion now.”

“Why?” Logan’s angry growl did little to ease the knot forming in Charles’s gut.

“Its Rogue.”

“I’m on my way,” Logan promised hanging up with a sharp slam of the phone.

Sitting there Charles shuddered for a moment then headed back to his office. There was only so much he could do, and he prayed that they wouldn’t be too late. That they could save Rogue before whatever was happening killed her.