Future Shock by J Marie T

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A lone figure stalked down the darkened hallways on the third floor of the mansion, which housed Professor Charles Xavier's school for mutants. Due to the lateness of the hour the corridor was deserted so he didn't even bother to keep to the shadows. Even in the light of day it wouldn't have been necessary since he was easily recognizable, he hadn't changed that much. No one would have questioned his presence. They would simply nod at him or pretend that he wasn't there.

The man slowed his pace as he approached his destination, his hand splaying out against the thick wood of the bedroom door. With a quick glance in each direction down the hallway, he grabbed the doorknob and turned it slowly.

Stepping into the room, he quietly closed the door behind him then turned his attention to the sleeping figure across the room. Locking his eyes on the beautiful young woman he started toward the bed mesmerized by her appearance. Just the sight of her sleeping peacefully caused a tightening in his chest. He'd almost forgotten how beautiful she was, her pale, rounded features, her full, inviting lips, the thick mass of chestnut hair with the shocking streaks of white that framed her face.

The man stopped at her side and just stared down at the exposed skin of her arms, shoulders and chest. Slowly he lowered himself to sit beside her, his hand reaching toward her silky smooth shoulder.

As though sensing the impending touch, Rogue shifted in her sleep, rolling onto her back away from the man beside her.

Her visitor growled lightly and reached toward her again, his time making contact with her face.

Rogue's eyes popped open at the unexpected touch. She was shocked to find familiar yet unexpected eyes staring back at her. "Logan?" she whispered her tone still muddled with sleep.

"Hey, Darlin'," Logan returned with a smile. His voice was somehow different, it was still gruff around the edges but it was also tender, almost loving and it seemed a little sad.

Fully awake, her eyes adjusted to the darkness in the room, Rogue sat up, resting her back against the headboard and focused her attention on Logan's face. The taught lines of his jaw, the furrows deep in his forehead, these were nothing new, she had seen them on countless occasions. The detail that really caught her attention was the enormous sadness in his hazel eyes.

"What is it, Logan?" she asked her voice practically begging for an answer.

Logan closed his eyes tightly, his lips trembling. "I'm sorry, Marie," he whispered gently his eyes still closed. "I wasted so much time. Time I wish I had back now."

Rogue shook her head in confusion. She had never seen the gruff man most people referred to as Wolverine in such a state. He seemed beside himself with grief. "Tell me what's happened," she demanded hoping her sharp tone would annoy him enough to snap him back out of it.

Instead the quiet words Logan spoke shocked her. "I love you so much, Baby."

"Logan?" Rogue questioned him, a voice in her gut screaming that this wasn't right. Over the year since he'd returned from Canada, they had gotten closer, in fact they spent most of their time together, but he'd never voiced feelings like that for her though she had begun to suspect. Still there was something different about the man before her. Something more than just the fact that he was dressed in slacks and a sweater, something she would never guess Logan would wear.

"Tell me you love me, Marie," Logan pleaded softly, a single tear rolling down his cheek. "Please just let me hear you say it once more."

As Logan leaned in toward her, Rogue noticed something for the first time. The bluish moonlight filtering through the window beside the bed reflected off the metal tags around Logan's neck. One was very familiar and it read "Wolverine 458-25-243". The fact that she was still wearing Logan's tag was momentarily lost as she read the inscription on the second tag, "Rogue 03-03-2012." The numbers, she realized was the date of her birthday, what would be her 30th birthday. Suddenly it became obvious why this man seemed different, he was. He was at least ten years older, ten years more civilized.

"Why'd ya come here?" Rogue asked focusing again on the man's face.

Logan grinned widely, an expression his younger self seldom used. "How'd you know?" he returned softly.

Moving slowly Rogue reached up and wrapped her fingers lightly around the two tags dangling from his neck.

Nodding Logan returned the gesture, wrapping his hand around the familiar tag she was wearing, his eyes once again drifting shut.

"Ah'm waitin'," Rogue's voice snapped him out of his reverie. The questioning look on his face prompted her to ask again. "What are ya doin' here?"

Lifting his head, Logan released the chain from his hand letting it fall back to her chest then he sat up fully. "I came here for you, Marie."

"Ah don't understand," she informed him evenly, shaking her head slowly. Somewhere deep down a part of her screamed that she should cry out for help or try to run but she knew the man before her would never hurt her.

"I wasted so much time denying what I felt," Logan explained. "I denied us years that should have been spent together, in each others arms, years that I could have been making love to you."

Rogue's eyes widened in surprise, was it really possible that someday she and Logan could actually make love.

"The years we had weren't enough, Marie," Logan told her his guilt making his voice tremble. "I want back the years that I lost. The years that I denied us."

"How?" Rogue asked.

Logan smiled at her again, a loving smile she had never seen on the face of the Logan she knew so well. "By giving you the gift now that was withheld for too long."

Her forehead wrinkling with confusion, Rogue shifted position as she tried to get out of the bed but Logan moved with her, blocking her escape. "Let me up," she requested, her tone falling short of the demand she had summoned.

"It's okay, Darlin'," Logan assured her as he shifted on the bed, straddling her thighs to keep her pinned in place.

Rogue's eyes widened in shock and fear as Logan's weight bared down on her legs making it impossible for her to move. "Please, leave me alone," she cried loudly hoping her voice would be heard by the man she knew was just next door.

"Just relax, Darlin'," Logan commanded as he leaned toward her, his hands coming up, one on either side of her face. "It won't hurt long." Then his hands gently but firmly grabbed her face. Tears filled her wide eyes as she waited for her poisoned skin to react with his. Seconds passed before she felt the electricity that started flowing between them but it wasn't what she was expecting, this was different than it had ever been.

Rogue's breath caught in her throat at the unbelievable pain tearing through her body. Within seconds of first contact a shrieking scream tore from her lips milliseconds before Logan's mouth descended on hers.

The bloodcurdling scream woke everyone in the mansion but none reacted as quickly as the man they called Wolverine. Awake and immediately alert, Logan bolted from his bed toward the room next door. There was no mistaking where the sound had come from or who'd made it.

Tearing his bedroom door opened, Logan ran the short distance down the hallway to Marie's room. As he approached he could smell her fear and something in his chest tightened. Without even slowing he kicked opened the heavy wooden door and froze in shock. Rogue wasn't alone, thus the reason for the scream.

Movement from behind him momentarily drew Logan's attention as Scott and Jean appeared at his back, Storm and the professor right behind them. They stared in shock at the scene before them. Rogue was sitting up in her bed with her back pressed firmly to her backboard. A man was sitting across her thighs, restraining her with his body as he held her head tightly between his hands. The most shocking aspect of all that was that it wasn't the man holding her that seemed to be affected by the touch, it was Rogue. She was withering against the contact, sobbing uncontrollably, her fingers clawing at the hands that held her.

His momentary shock subsiding, Logan moved forward, his hands balling into fists and the sound of scraping metal split the echo of Rogue's whimpers in the room. "Get the fuck away from her," Logan demanded as he stalked to within striking distance.

The man atop Rogue ignored the command and continued his onslaught. He almost smiled at the protectiveness of his younger self. He closed his eyes against the pain in the eyes of the woman beneath him. He hated hurting her, hated it with all his being but it was necessary if they were going to be together and nothing was going to stop that. He'd had a short time with her, a time which had only left him wanting more and this was the only way.

From across the room, Jean closed her eyes probing the mind of Rogue's attacker for some clue as to who he was and what he wanted. Suddenly it was clear to her and she opened her eyes just as Logan raised a clawed fist and prepared to strike. "LOGAN!" she screamed.

Ignoring the cry, Logan unleashed a powerful blow. He felt the adamantium claws start to penetrate flesh then it stopped with an audible clang as metal met metal. Confused by the turn of events, Logan pulled back contemplating another blow when the man he was attacking released Rogue then jumped to his feet, an identical pair of claws springing from his own fists. Logan stared in shock at himself, a reflection that required no mirror.

Jean's attention was focused solely on Rogue as the young woman slid down the headboard in an unconscious heap. Jean was at her side in a matter of seconds to verify that she was all right.

Storm followed Jean to watch her back as the doctor concentrated on Rogue should the attacker decide to go for her.

His own shock regarding the situation clearing, Scott Summers moved farther into the room, flanking Logan, the man he knew to be the real Logan. His hand went immediately to his visor but he waited to see what the two Wolverines would do next.

Logan snarled loudly and thrust his fist toward his twin who promptly jumped back out of range.

"There ain't a trick you can pull that I don't know, bub," the man stated with a familiar growl. "I know everything you know as well as things you can't even imagine."

"Who the hell are you?" Logan demanded.

His twin smiled and lowered his fists, relaxing from his fighting stance. "I'm you, Logan."

A strangled gasp from across the room drew everyone's attention. Rogue groaned against the pain in her head as she tried to sit up.

"Take it easy," Jean offered compassionately.

"Cyke," Logan growled glancing at the X-Man before shifting his gaze to his twin in an unspoken plea.

"I got him," Scott nodded tersely his finger poised over the trigger of his visor.

Logan retracted his claws, glaring at the man in front of him as he skirted around him, making his way to the bed where Rogue lay.

"Logan," she sobbed looking at him with huge brown eyes.

"It's all right, Marie," Logan assured her, taking her in his arms. "You're safe now, Darlin'."

Without thinking about what she was doing, Rogue turned, pressing her face into Logan's chest, his bare chest.

Jean reached in to pull them apart but within seconds it became clear that it wasn't necessary. They were touching skin to skin but there was no reaction. Rogue wasn't absorbing his power and she wasn't sucking the life out of him. They were just holding each other like any other couple in the world.

"What's happening?" Ororo asked looking to Jean for answers.

Jean just shook her head, now wasn't the time to go into it.

Every pair of eyes in the room were fixed on the couple, neither of which seemed to notice the scrutiny or the fact that their skin was touching and nothing was happening. After a moment of watching them their gazes shifted to the only man who knew what had happened.

"What did you do to her?" Scott demanded of the man standing before him.

"I helped her," the man responded with Logan's voice, "and now I have to go."

"Like hell," Scott replied his finger itching with anticipation.

Scott the professor's voice soundly quietly in his head let him go

Cyclopes turned his head to look at his mentor. "We can't just let him go without knowing what he did to Rogue."

Rogue will be fine, Scott Jean's voice assured him.

Logan gave one last glance at the couple wrapped safely together. "Don't waste another second you dumb ass," he said making sure that his younger self knew he was talking to him. Then he turned to leave the room stopping beside the wheelchair bound professor. "Thanks again, Chuck. That's two I owe you."

Xavier nodded with a smile watching as Logan walked from the room passed the crowd of people outside the door, which promptly parted for him to pass.

Scott, still fuming that the professor let the man leave after having assaulted Rogue, noticed the gathering in the hallway. "The show is over, kids, get back to your rooms."

The booming voice seemed to jolt Rogue and she suddenly became aware of her surrounds, the feel of warm flesh against her own. She pulled back sharply, her eyes wide with fear that she had hurt someone. The pained eyes she expected to see weren't there instead the hazel eyes gazing back at her were filled with concern and something else. Rogue blinked sharply looking from Logan to Jean and back again. "What happened?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Scott piped up.

"Perhaps it's something we should all discuss," Xavier stated looking from Jean to Logan and Rogue. "Why don't we all take a few minutes then meet downstairs in my office."

"That's a good idea," Jean agreed nodding as she walked to Scott's side and took his arm. "Come on, I want to get my robe."

Scott wanted to protest but his lover led him out the door without a comment.

"I will see you all downstairs," Ororo said before leaving herself.

"You know everything don't you?" Logan asked the professor when he was the last once left.

Charles Xavier nodded his head. "I'll see you both downstairs in a few minutes."

Logan watched with a scowl as the professor wheeled his chair from the room.

"Logan?"

Turning he noticed the bewildered look on the young woman's face. Quickly he moved back to her side and gathered her again in his arms.

Rogue resisted the urge to flinch away from him as their skin made contact once more. "Ah don't understand what's happened. Why can Ah touch ya?"

"Come on," Logan urged her into motion grabbing her robe off the chair near her bed and helping her on with it. "Lets go find out."

All Rogue could do was nod as Logan led her from her room down the hallway to his. They entered just long enough for him to don a shirt then he ushered her toward the stairs, Scott and Jean joining them near the top.

The four mutants walked together in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. As they entered the professor's office, Xavier and Ororo were already inside waiting.

"Please, get comfortable," Charles offered, waving his hand at the various chairs in the room.

Logan sat Rogue in one of the two center seats then promptly sat down beside her, taking her hand in his. "What just happened?" Logan demanded. "And who the hell was that guy?"

Charles Xavier met Logan's curious gaze then glanced briefly at Rogue. "That man was you, Logan," the professor assured him. "From what I gathered he was from about twenty years in the future." Xavier glanced at Jean and she was nodding in agreement.

"What was he doing here?" Scott demanded, his expression, while half hidden behind his visor, was even angrier than Logan's appeared to be.

"He came here to finally bring the two of you together," Xavier told Logan and Rogue.

Rogue's eyes widened, as did Logan's scowl.

"What are you talking about?" Logan snarled, removing his hand from Rogue's and curling it into a fist. He'd been aware of his changing feelings for the young woman for some time but he was too afraid to admit that, even to himself. Logan was afraid he'd hurt her, in ways far worse than he had when he'd impaled her with his claws. He was afraid that he'd let her close and then end up pushing her away. Most of all he was afraid that if he let her any closer and something happened to her, he wouldn't be able to go on.

"Oh mah Gawd!" Rogue muttered under her breath. "They were tagether."

Jean nodded her head but there was a great sadness in the action. "Yes."

"Who's they?" Scott wanted to know.

"Logan and Rogue," Ororo muttered, it was the only possible answer given the variables.

"That's correct," the professor confirmed. "Would you like to add anything here, Logan?"

Rogue looked at him with wide eyes and Logan quickly looked away. "It seems you and Jean have all the answers," he returned sharply to the professor's question. Logan wanted out of there. He wanted to get up, walk out of the room and run like he always did. Instead he simply tightened his grip on his own hand and listened. If this was what it took for him to face the truth than he could take it.

Professor Xavier had hoped that Logan would admit his feelings but he understood his reasons. "Very well, it seems that he and Rogue's counterpart shared a relationship not unlike your own. Best friends, always there for each other, both afraid to admit that they wanted something more."

Logan cocked his head to face Rogue. She hadn't turned toward him but he could see her watching him from the corner of her eye.

"It went on that way for ten years," Xavier continued glancing across the room toward Ororo and Scott, seeing the realization set in as well as the sadness.

Rogue ducked her head a little lower but looked up to catch the professor's gaze. "What happened?"

"On her 30th birthday the key to her mutation was found and they finally admitted their feelings for each other. From that moment on they were truly inseparable," Charles concluded, watching both Logan and Rogue closely for their reactions.

"Then whatever he did negated her power?" Logan questioned looking over his shoulder at Jean.

"Not entirely," the doctor insisted. "She can still turn it on when she needs to but for the most part it's no longer a consideration."

"What exactly did he do?" Scott wanted to know.

Jean turned to look at him before turning back to face Logan and Rogue. "Apparently they discovered a compound that when absorbed by her skin, gives her a degree of control she never had before. They still don't really know why it worked but it does."

Rogue was struggling to absorb everything that she was hearing. The whole situation seemed more than a little surreal. She was going over everything in her mind when something the future Logan said struck her with the force of a physical blow. "He asked me ta say Ah loved him," she muttered aloud, speaking to herself alone. "He said he wanted to hear it once more, said that the years they had weren't enough."

"Yes," Professor Xavier agreed, catching Rogue's eyes when she looked up stunned that he responded. "You see his Rogue was killed a short time ago."

Suddenly Logan felt violently ill. Rogue would die? Even knowing that it wouldn't happen for years didn't ease the pain in his chest. Suddenly his greatest fear was turned into his certain future. He thought about that for a moment, fighting the urge to run, then he remembered the man that he'd become and it calmed him slightly. That man had just given Logan twelve years that he didn't have, could he really throw that away? Sure it would be devastating when Rogue died but would it be any less devastating if she died tomorrow? Wouldn't it be worse if he denied them being together at all? Looking up Logan found the professor staring at him and he knew the telepath was reading his mind and for the first time he didn't care. "How did she die?"

The entire group sat silently as Charles Xavier gave a play by play of the mission that would someday claim the life of the young woman directly in front of him. He hadn't been surprised to see in Logan's mind that she died protecting someone else. Of course he didn't reveal whom; it wouldn't have done much to build a working relationship if Logan knew that she was killed saving Scott.

Dropping her head and closing her eyes, Rogue fought the urge to cry. She wrapped her arms around herself and once again tried to make sense for everything that had happened. Even with her eyes closed, Rogue could feel Logan's eyes on her, staring at her with an intensity that she'd seen before and finally knew what it meant. After a series of deep fortifying breaths, Rogue opened her eyes and rose from her seat, focusing her attention on Xavier. "Thank ya, professor," she said softly before turning and striding from the room.

Rogue didn't look at anyone else as she left the room and started down the hallway toward the stairs. She was almost to her bedroom door before she became aware of the sound of footsteps following her and realized that they'd been there since she left the professor's office. Stopping at her door she reached for the doorknob as she turned to face her stalker.

Logan didn't stop when she turned, just kept walking until he was standing right in front of her. He lifted his hand and gently fingered the white bolt of hair framing the side of her face before shifting his hand to her cheek. He closed his eyes as his skin connected with hers, a look of content settling on his handsome but gruff features.

Shivering at the touch, Rogue stood there staring into the face of the man that had changed her life yet again.

After another moment, Logan opened his eyes, meeting her gaze, letting his eyes convey the emotion that he felt. Slowly he let his hand slip down her face to her shoulder, skimming along the side of her arm until he could wrap his fingers around hers. Taking a deep, slightly ragged breath, Logan stepped forward into Rogue's room, pulling her in after him and closing the door.

They stood there for what seemed like hours, holding hands just inside the room, staring at each other. Neither of them knew where to start, so much had happened and considering it was the middle of the night and they were both tired, it was even harder to think. Finally Logan pulled her into motion again, moving to the bed. He lifted the blankets for her and waited until she was settled before crawling in beside her and wrapping his arms around her.

"Logan," Rogue started reveling in the feel of his warmth surrounding her.

"Shh," Logan hissed softly in her ear, "it's late. We'll talk tomorrow."

Nodding, Rogue sighed and closed her eyes, tomorrow was going to be a great day.

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